By Canadian Press

Kripps, Appiah, de Bruin have eyes on bobsled medal podium in Beijing

Jan 20, 2022 | 7:45 AM

Reigning Olympic two-man champion Justin Kripps, and Cynthia Appiah and Christine de Bruin, who’ve been excellent on the women’s monobob circuit this season, headline Canada’s 18-member bobsled team for the Beijing Olympics.

Olympic veterans Jane Channell of Calgary and Mirela Rahneva of Ottawa and rookie Blake Enzie of Calgary are Canada’s three skeleton athletes, announced Thursday.

Kripps, a 35-year-old from Summerland, B.C., will be looking to defend the gold he captured four years ago in Pyeongchang and climb the medal podium in the four-man as well. He piloted his Canadian sled to second-place overall in both the two- and four-man on the World Cup season that just ended. 

Chris Spring of Vancouver, who will make his fourth trip to the Games, and Calgary’s Taylor Austin were also named to the team as pilots. 

Days removed from finishing third overall in the women’s World Cup monobob standings, Appiah will make her Olympic debut after being an alternate four years ago.

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The 31-year-old from Toronto raced to four medals in her first monobob World Cup season. She’ll also race in the two-woman event.

De Bruin, a 32-year-old from Stony Plain, Alta., will race in both the monobob and two-woman event, days after she finished fourth in both in the World Cup standings. Melissa Lotholz from Barrhead, Alta., is Canada’s third women’s pilot for Beijing.

Canada has an excellent Olympic record in sliding sports, winning nine bobsled medals and four skeleton medals. 

Bobsled is Feb. 13-20, while skeleton is Feb. 10-12 at the Yanqing Sliding Centre.

The crew members for Canada’s bobsled team are:

Women: 

Kristen Bujnowski, Mount Brydges, Ont.; Dawn Richardson Wilson, Edmonton; Sara Villani, Norval, Ont.

Men:

Ben Coakwell, Saskatoon; Ryan Sommer, White Rock, B.C.; Cam Stones, Whitby, Ont.; Mike Evelyn, Ottawa; Sam Giguere, Sherbrooke, Que.; Cody Sorensen, Ottawa; Jay Dearborn, Yaker, Ont.; Chris Patrician, Toronto; Daniel Sunderland, Calgary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2022.

The Canadian Press