Canadian Bobsleigh Athletes Snowed Out of Medals in Seventh at World Cup in Park City

PARK CITY, Utah—Canada’s bobsleigh athletes were snowed out of the medals in men’s four-man and women’s racing in Park City, Utah on Saturday.

Team Spring placed seventh in the Canada 2 sled in men’s four-man action, while Kaillie Humphries also drove the Canada 1 sled to seventh spot in the second of two World Cup women’s events this weekend.

The 29-year-old Chris Spring and his newly-formed crew of Jesse Lumsden, of Burlington, Ont., Ottawa’s Cody Sorensen and Saskatoon’s Ben Coakwell, clocked a two-run time of 1:35.18.

“It was tough weekend of racing for everyone here at Bobsleigh Canada. To be honest I think in both the two- and four-man we pushed and drove better than the result we ended up with and that is very frustrating,” said Spring. “But that\'s snow races ya know! You have to have a little bit of luck on your side and unfortunately that didn\'t happen this weekend for us.

Lots of positives to come from this though and I\'m excited for next week in Lake Placid.”

American Steven Holcomb remained unbeaten this year winning the four-man on U.S. ice. The Olympic champ and his crew of Curtis Tomasevicz, Steven Langton and Christopher Fogt, finished on top at 1:34.76.

Germany’s Maximillian Arndt, Marko Huebenbecker, Alexander Roediger and Martin Putz slid into third at 1:35.11. Russia’s Alexander Kasjanov, Philipp Egorov, Maxim Belugin and Aleksei Pushkarev slid to the podium for the first time this year, placing third with a time of 1:35.12.

Second year pilot on the World Cup, Justin Kripps, of Summerland, B.C., and his team of James McNaughton, of Newmarket, Ont., Toronto’s Tim Randall and Edmonton’s Bryan Barnett remain steady in the top-10, placing ninth at 1:35.23 in the Canada 3 sled.

Lyndon Rush, of Humboldt, Sask., piloted the Canada 1 crew of Edmontonian’s David Bissett and Neville Wright, along with Calgary’s Lascelles Brown to an 11th-place finish (1:35.28).

Earlier in the day, Canada’s Kaillie Humphries’ streak of 15 straight podium finishes that has extended over the last three seasons ended on the back end of a double World Cup race weekend for the women in Park City.

Calgary’s Humphries, who won the silver on Friday night with Heather Moyse, struggled in snowy Park City on Saturday where she finished seventh. With Moyse on the sidelines protecting a sore back, the Olympic and two-time World Champion reunited with her brakeman from last year, Chelsea Valois of Zenon Park, Sask., to post a two-run time of 1:39.64.

Humphries’ historic run included 11 victories – two being World Championship titles – two silver and two bronze medals.

“Nobody has ever dominated the sport this way and likely won’t for years to come because I believe Kaillie will continue to dominate,” said head coach Tom De La Hunty following Saturday’s silver medal performance “Nobody has done anything like it – to podium like this every week. It is a very special accomplishment by a very special and gifted athlete.”

The Americans swept the podium on their home track in Utah. Elana Meyers and Aja Evans won the women’s race with a time of 1:38.01. Two other American sleds finished in a tie for second. Jamie Greubel and Lolo Jones finished deadlocked at 1:39.24 with teammates Jazmine Fenlator and Lauryn Williams.

Edmonton’s Jenny Ciochetti drove the Canada 2 sled to 14th place with Emily Baadsvik, of St. Stephen, N.B. on the brakes. The Canucks clocked a two-run time of 1:40.27.

Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton athletes now head to Lake Placid, N.Y. for the third and final stop on the Viessmann World Cup before the holiday break.

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 – Adidas, Eurotech – Viking Engineering, BMW Canada, The Globe and Mail, Conceptum Sport Logistics, Therapeutica – along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and SAIT Polytechnic. Bobsleigh CANADA Skeleton develops Olympic and world champions. Please visit us at www.bobsleighcanadaskeleton.ca.  

Complete Results: www.fibt.com

Top-Five Men’s Four-Man Bobsleigh Results:

1. Holcomb/Tomasevicz/Langton/Fogt, USA 1, 1:34.76; 2.  Arndt/Huebenbecker/Roediger/Putze, GER 1, 1:35.11; 3. Kasjanov/Egorov/Belugin/Pushkarev, RUS, 1:35.12; 4. Melbardis/Dreiskens/Vilkaste/Strenga, LAT, 1:35.14; 5. Zubkov/Negodaylo/Trunenkov/Mokrousov, RUS, 1:35.15

Canadian Results:

7. Spring, Calgary/Lumsden, Burlington, Ont/Sorensen, Ottawa/Coakwell, Saskatoon, CAN 2, 1:35.18; 9. Kripps, Summerland, B.C./McNaughton, Newmarket, Ont./Randall, Toronto/Barnett, Edmonton, CAN 3, 1:35.23; 11. Rush, Humboldt, Sask./Bissett, Edmonton/Wright, Edmonton Brown, Calgary, CAN 1, 1:35.28.

Top-Five Women’s Bobsleigh Results:

1. Elana Meyers/Aja Evans, USA 1, 1:38.01; T2. Jamie Greubel/Lolo Jones, USA 2, 1:39.24; T2. Jazmine Fenlator/Lauryn Williams, USA 3, 1:39.24; 4. Sandra Kiriasis/Franziska Fritz, GER 1, 1:39.25; 5. Cathleen Martini/Christin Senkel, GER, 1:53.79; 5. Anja Schneiderheinze/Stephanie Schneider, GER, 1:39.49

Canadian Results:

7. Kaillie Humphries, Calgary/Chelsea Valois, Zenon Park, Sask., CAN 1, 1:39.64. 14. Jenny Ciochetti, Edmonton/Emily Baadsvik, St. Stephen, N.B., CAN 2, 1:40.27