Team Kripps Wraps Up World Bobsleigh Championships in Sixth

KONIGSSEE, Ger.—Struggling to find their way into the top-10 for most of the season, Justin Kripps and his new-look four-man crew fought their way into a sixth-place finish at the World Bobsleigh Championships on Sunday in Konigssee, Germany. 

Kripps, of Summerland, B.C., piloted his crew of Jesse Lumsden (Burlington, Ont), Alex Kopacz (London, Ont.), and Lascelles Brown (Calgary) into sixth place with a four-run time of 3:14.87.

“With the way the season has been, I’m pretty happy with this result,” said Kripps, who won the two-man World Championship silver medal with Lumsden one week ago. “I was having a lot of trouble coming out of the S4 straightaway, but overall it was a good race and we’re moving in the right direction.”

The Canadian crew was fifth after Saturday’s opening heat, but struggled in their second run. Kripps put down two consistent runs on Sunday to hold his sixth-place position.

The crews piloted by Germany’s Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich were deadlocked at 3:14.10 to share the gold medal. Nico Walther piloted his Germany team to third place at 3:14.26 to complete the podium sweep.

Calgary’s Chris Spring drove his Canadian squad of Cam Stones (Hamilton), Josh Kirkpatrick (Calgary) and Neville Wright (Edmonton) to 13th at 3:15.61. World Cup rookie, Nick Poloniato (Hamilton) and his Calgary-based crew of Dan Sunderland, Derek Plug, and Keenan MacDougall, did not qualify for fourth and final run after placing 23rd. 

Meanwhile, Dave Greszczyszyn slid to a season-best 10th-place finish in the men’s skeleton race. The Brampton, Ont. product stopped the clock at 3:27.18 after four trips down the 16-corner track.

Calgary’s Barrett Martineau finished in 13th place (3:27.60), while Edmonton’s Kevin Boyer did not qualify for the final run, finishing 22nd.

Latvia’s Martins Dukurs led wire-to-wire to win the gold medal with a time of 3:23.48. Germany’s Axel Jungk was second at 3:23.85, while Russia’s Nikita Tregybov locked up the bronze with a time of 3:24.02. 

The World Cup bobsleigh and skeleton circuit now heads to Pyeongchang, Korea for the final race of the season.

Bobsleigh CANADA Skeleton is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton in Canada. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Karbon, Driving Force and Conceptum Sport Logistics – along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Bobsleigh CANADA Skeleton develops Olympic and world champions. Please visit us at www.bobsleighcanadaskeleton.ca.

Complete Four-Man Bobsleigh Results: http://www.ibsf.org/en/component/events/event/168616

Complete Men’s Skeleton Results:

http://www.ibsf.org/en/component/events/event/168617