No podium, but two bobsleds in top five
Two of Canada’s top bobsleds plowed through heavy snow to finish in the top five on Sunday at a World Cup event in Winterberg, Germany.
Justin Kripps came up just short of the four-man podium, sliding to fourth for the third straight race. Building on the momentum of Saturday’s silver medal triumph in two-man action, Chris Spring slid to fifth spot.
Kripps of Summerland, B.C., and his Ontario-bred crew of Jesse Lumsden, Alex Kopacz and Seyi Smith finished fourth in a time of one minute 49.52 seconds.
Calgary’s Spring and his crew of Cam Stones, Josh Kirkpatrick and Neville Wright punched the clock at 1:49.66 for fifth spot.
In Calgary, Canadian lugers amassed a three-medal weekend. Team relay members Alex Gough, Sam Edney and doubles sliders Tristan Walker and Justin Snith finished just a blink behind the Germans on Saturday.
It was the inaugural World Cup relay event in Calgary, and the Germans claimed a track record of 2:21.146, edging the Canadians (2:21.187) into second.
Gough picked up a silver medal in the women’s event.
Meanwhile, Mikael Kingsbury from Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que., came through again on the freestyle slopes.
The 25-year-old won a gold medal to kick off the freestyle skiing World Cup season began in Ruka, Finland.
Also in Ruka, Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City won silver in the women’s moguls. Andi Naude of Regina finished fourth.
In Utah, Japan’s Nao Kodaira and Canada’s Ted-Jan Bloemen set world records Sunday in World Cup speedskating.
Kodaira finished in one minute 12.09 seconds in the women’s 1000 metres. Bloemen clocked 6:01.86 in the men’s 5,000.
In Canmore, Alta., Vancouver’s Emily Young won bronze for the second-straight day in the women’s standing division at the ParaNordic World Cup.