By Canadian Press

Canada’s Justin Kripps wins silver at bobsled World Cup in Germany

Jan 27, 2020 | 12:34 PM

KONIGSSEE, Germany — Canada’s Justin Kripps continued to roll in Konigssee, Germany, by winning his fifth career medal on the bobsled track.

The 32-year-old Olympic champion teamed up with Cam Stones of Whitby, Ont., to win the silver medal Saturday on the 16-corner sheet in the Bavarian Alps. The Canadian duo posted a two-run time of one minute 39.17 seconds.

“That was a fun one,” said Kripps, following his 15th career World Cup two-man medal. “It was such a tight race, so I was really happy to get back on the podium.”

The lone Canadian sled was forced to fight back for a spot on the podium following some bad luck at the start of its opening run on the 1,675-metre track where Kripps and Stones clocked the second-fastest push time.

“We came out of the groove on the first run and hit the side wall pretty good, so I was happy to see we were fourth at the bottom and not completely out of it,” said Kripps, who now sits second overall in the World Cup two-man standings. “Cam gave me another good push in the second run. I just wanted to get in and hold the ropes to make sure I didn’t get kicked out to the side again.”

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Sitting just .09 seconds off the podium after the first heat, Kripps posted the second-fastest final run time at 49.61.

The Canadians climbed ahead of two German sleds in the second heat but couldn’t catch fellow Olympic champions, Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis, who posted a winning time of 1:38.66. Germany’s Nico Walter teamed up with Malte Schwenzfeier for the bronze medal at 1:39.19.

It was the second World Cup two-man podium of the season for the 28-year-old Stones, and fifth of his career in addition to the silver he won with Kripps at the 2019 World Championships.

Earlier in the day, Canada’s Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski was tied for top spot with the Germans after clocking a time of 50.85.

After fifth-place 5.29 push times in both heats, de Bruin wasn’t able to make up time on a tight leaderboard in the final heat where .15 seconds separated the top-four sleds. The Canadians were edged off the podium in fourth at 1:41.72.

Kaillie Humphries and Sylvia Hoffmann, of the United States, squeaked out the victory with a time of 1:51.57. Germany’s Laura Nolte and Erline Nolte were second at 1:41.60. Stephanie Schneider and Ann-Christin Strack, also of Germany, slid to the bronze with a time of 1:41.66.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2020.

The Canadian Press