Not anymore. Hays, the badder-than-bad former kickboxing champion, has brought American bobsleds up to speed.

Jovanovic, who finished seventh with Hays in two-man, said his teammate’s surprising announcement Friday that he was moving on took a while to sink in.

“I wasn’t sure that he would actually officially say that,” he said. “Now, it’s become a reality. I thought he’d stick around for at least one more season, but I understand where he’s coming from.”

After two subpar runs on Friday that he blamed on his poor driving, Hays and his sliding mates, Jovanovic, Steve Mesler and Brock Kreitzburg, began the third run in seventh place, 0.49 seconds behind Lange and 0.32 from bronze.

With the sun setting quickly behind the Italian Alps, Hays, wearing a calf-length USA jacket, fixed his eyes down the track while trying to figure out where he could possibly gain time on the field.

Unlike the first two runs, Hays kept his shiny, black sled steady and didn’t allow it to fishtail. However, despite making it down in 55.04 seconds on his third run, he lost time to five teams and only passed Holcomb — briefly.

Hays’ final Olympic run started with a shiver when Mesler’s right foot slipped as climbed in. Hays made it down the mountain in 55.41, and as he pulled into the finish area, he flipped up his visor to see a clock that didn’t show good news.

Still, he walked away satisfied.

“I got to put on the red, white and blue,” Hays said. “I got to represent the greatest nation on earth. That is a fantastic thing. And I happened to be able to win a medal along with it.”

Although he’s in terrific shape, Hays says he’s too old to compete in the 2010 games at Vancouver. However, plenty of other great athletes have called it quits and later changed their minds.

“I just don’t think I can win a gold medal at 40,” he said. “If I thought I could, I’d go give it a try. It’s just time for me to move on, find another challenge. I’m not Michael Jordan or one of those guys. Retire’s a pretty strong word. I think it’s more like I’ve got to find something else to do.”

Hays won’t stray far from the track. He’ll spend his time developing sleds, recruiting talent and fundraising for U.S. bobsled, a once foundering team that can now hold its own in the sliding world.

For that, Hays can take a bow.

“I love the sport,” he said. “I had a great time.”

MORE FROM BOBSLED, LUGE, SKELETON

Bobsled, luge, skeleton Section Front

Retired Hays heading back to football Texan Hays retires after finishing 7th It was all downhill for U.S. sliding teams Celizic: America's top 10 Olympic busts Medal winners, complete results A closer look at bobsled, luge, skeleton U.S. bobsled roster U.S. luge roster U.S. skeleton roster Bobsled, luge, skeleton Section Front   Add Bobsled, luge, skeleton headlines to your news reader: