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We are back... on the track to Beijing 2022!
Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton athletes have officially blasted into the critical Olympic season.



The teams travelled to Beijing in October for their first ever runs on the new Olympic track during the postponed three week training period and Test Event.

Right on the heels of the Beijing trip, we hosted the highly anticipated IBSF North American Cup and Intercontinental Cup in Whistler - the first home competitions since the 2019 IBSF BMW World Championships. 


 
The World Cup kicked off this past week for the first of two back-to-back races in Igls, Austria.

Check out the Team Announcement here. 
2021-22 Medal Count
Canadian athletes have been sliding onto the international podium across all bobsleigh and skeleton disciplines throughout the 2021-22 season
The medal count was last updated November 22nd, 2021.
Three women's and two men's sleds made a charge for the podium in the World Cup bobsleigh opener on Saturday and Sunday in Igls, Austria.
 
Cynthia Appiah and Melissa Lotholz proved they will be a force to be reckoned with on the final countdown to Beijing, finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the women’s monobob race with Christine de Bruin coming in seventh. 

Justin Kripps and Cam Stones narrowly missed the podium in the two-man battle, placing fourth. Chris Spring and Mike Evelyn fought their way from a late draw up to 8th place, building momentum into the second week of World Cup competition. 

On Sunday, Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski won bobsleigh bronze in the women’s race! Melissa Lotholz joined forces with Sara Villani to finish in ninth spot while Cynthia Appiah teamed up with Dawn Richardson Wilson placing 12th. 
Christine de Bruin (left) and Kristen Bujnowski (right) celebrating bronze.
Ben Coakwell, Ryan Sommer and Cam Stones who pushed Justin Kripps to a bronze Crystal Globe last year kicked off the World Cup season with a sixth place finish in the 4-man race. Chris Spring and his crew of Sam Giguere, and Ottawa boys – Mike Evelyn and Cody Sorensen – placed 13th in their first race together as a 4-man team. 

Read more about this weekend's World Cup action here. 

The skeleton athletes also took to the ice for the first time this season, Jane Channell led the pack of Canadian athletes finishing in seventh place. Following a year off competition due to injury, Mirela Rahneva made her return to the World Cup circuit finishing in 14th place and Mark Lynch was the lone male slider finishing in 25th. 
Up next: World Cup #2 Igls, AUT.

You can watch the live stream on CBC 
This season started with a bang as we hosted the first international competitions of 2021-22 season - a whirlwind event hosting over 200 athletes competing in three NAC bob + skeleton races and a double ICC skeleton in Whistler.

A total of 25 medals were captured by Canadian athletes across every discipline in Whistler, B.C. last week. 

Taylor Austin returned from Beijing ready to prove his worth on the NAC circuit. Partnering up with Daniel Sunderland, Chris Patrician and Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, Team Austin topped the podium for all the 2-man and 4-man races.  

Up and coming development pilot Patrick Norton competed in 2-man and his first international 4-man competitions and NextGen pilots Brendon Thera-Plomondon and Orion Edwards competed in their first international competitions as pilots in Whistler.  A strong group of talented athletes team up with these developing pilots to train and race, honing their skills gaining valuable racing experience and pushing towards top performances. 

Alysia Rissling also finished on the top of the podium in women's monobob and again when she joined forces with Eden Wilson to win all of the 2-woman races. Bianca Ribi joined Rissling on the podium with a silver and bronze in two of the women's monobob races and teamed up with rookie Leah Walkeden to win silver and bronze in the 2-woman competitions. 
Up Next: Bobsleigh NAC Races #4 & #5 Park City, USA
The skeleton athletes took to the ice in the back-to-back ICC+NAC two week event. 

Madison Charney and newbie Hallie Clarke did double duty, competing in both NAC and ICC competitions in Whistler. Both won medals in each of the three NAC women's skeleton races. Madi landed on the podium two more times in the ICC action and Hallie joined her with a silver medal the first day of racing and just off the podium with a 4th place finish in ICC #2. 

Evan Neufeldt made his return to the Canadian National Team in Whistler with a first and third place finish before heading off to Europe to compete in the Europe Cup. David Park also secure a second-place finish in the men's skeleton race in Whistler. 

Kyle Murray and NextGen athlete Blake Enzie took to the ice for the two ICC competitions in a packed field vying for Olympic quota spots. 

Development & NextGen athletes Kyle Donsberger, Ryan Kuehn, Jimmie Airey, Troy Wilson, Grace Dafoe and Natalie Coughlin also competed in the Whistler NAC, developing their skills and gaining valuable race experience. 

The team travelled to Park City, USA to carry on their pursuit for the podium, stay tuned next week for a full round up of ICC+NAC races. 
Up Next Skeleton: ICC+NAC Park City, USA
Keep up to date with how the team is getting on and see full team news here
All photo credits - IBSF International Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation