PARK CITY, Utah -- Jean Racine has a new partner, a track record on the Olympic bobsled course and a refocused determination to win a gold medal in the Salt Lake City Games.

Jean Racine (right) puts an arm around new bobsled partner Gea Johnson. (AP)

Racine teamed with new brakewoman Gea Johnson to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team, winning the women's bobsled trials Saturday night and setting a track record of 48.92 seconds on the first of two runs.

"Getting that track record, I really, really needed that going into the Olympics," Racine said. "I'm really, really confident."

Racine's first-heat run of 48.92 seconds shaved a tenth of a second off the Utah Olympic Park record set by Germany's Sandra Prokoff in a World Cup event last year.

"Everything just flowed," Racine said. "You can tell when you have that perfect line and you're carrying it all the way down. It feels like you're floating on air, not sliding on ice."

Racine and Johnson won with a combined time of 1:38.17. The other spot on the women's team went to Jill Bakken and Vonnetta Flowers, who were 14-hundreths of a second behind.

The Germans have made impressive strides over the past year in women's bobsled, which makes its Olympic debut at the Salt Lake Games. But Racine feels she's got her groove on the Olympic course.

"Going into yesterday's race, I felt like I had this track. The track and I have had a few talks. We're getting along really well," she said.

In the men's competition, 39-year-old Brian Shimer put himself in outstanding position for a possible fifth Olympic appearance by teaming with Darrin Steele to win in 1:36.15.

However, only one men's Olympic slot is locked up, and that belongs to Todd Hays based on his World Cup results. Hays tinkered with alternate lineups and took fifth with brakeman Garrett Hines.

Shimer, who missed a bronze medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics by two-hundreths of a second, is dueling Mike Dionne for the second U.S. slot, and next weekend's four-man trials will determine the survivor.

It's been stressful over the last nine days for Racine since she ended her four-year partnership with brakewoman Jen Davidson. In came Johnson, a former NCAA heptathlon champion at Arizona State.

Racine and Davidson won the last two World Cup titles and six of seven races last season. But in bobsled, the pilot decides the best way to reach the medals podium, and Racine felt Johnson would provide faster starts.

Davidson attended the trials, but only as a spectator. She won't compete in the Olympics.

"I noticed Jen was here and I was really glad to see her," Racine said. "I'm glad for the support. ... As far as our friendship, I'm afraid it's going to take some time to mend."

If the track record didn't make it clear that the decision was behind Racine, her new partner stepped forward to help.

"It's done. We're moving on," said Johnson, who lives in Phoenix.