Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowksi from Canada at the start of the women's two-women bobsleigh World Cup race in Igls, near Innsbruck, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner)

Bobsleigh: Team Kripps and Team de Bruin celebrate bronze medals at Innsbruck World Cup

November 28, 2021

Team Kripps broke through to win the four-man bronze medal, while Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski secured their second consecutive bronze medal of the season in the two-woman bobsleigh at the second IBSF World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria.

The winners Francesco Friedrich from Germany and his team centre, on the left Oskars Kibermanis from Latvia and his team placed second and Justin Kripps from Canada and his team on the right, who finished third, pose for a photo during the award ceremony for the men’s four-man bobsleigh World Cup race, in Igls, near Innsbruck, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner)

The team composed of pilot Justin Kripps and push crew Ryan Sommer, Cam Stones and Ben Coakwell slid their way to the third step of the podium with a combined time of 1:42.15. The Canadians finished just 0.33 seconds behind Team Francesco Friedrich of Germany (1:41.82), who remains unbeaten in four-man bobsleigh for almost two years and took the victory once again. Team Oskars Kibermanis of Latvia (1:42.10) took home the silver.

After achieving the same result at last weekend’s season-opening World Cup event on the Igls track, de Bruin and Bujnowski captured their second bronze medal of the season in Innsbruck. They had a combined two-run time of 1 minute and 46.86 seconds, behind a pair of German sleds. The Canadians finished just 0.15 seconds behind the first German sled of Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi (1:46.71) and 0.06 seconds behind the second of Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig (1:46.77).

The winners Laura Nolte and Deborah Levi from Germany in the middle, next to Kim Kalicki and Leonie Fiebig from Germany on the left who place second and Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowksi from Canada place third at the two-women bobsleigh World Cup race and pose for a photo at the award ceremony in Igls, near Innsbruck, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner)

Last weekend, the Canadian duo had a combined two-run time of one minute and 46.51 seconds to capture their first World Cup bronze medal of the season. In the overall standings for the IBSF World Cup, Laura Nolte of Germany (450 points) leads the two-woman bobsleigh ranking ahead of Kim Kalicki (420) and Christine de Bruin (400). It’s the third podium this season for the Canadians – De Bruin and Bujnowski also took bronze at the Olympic test event in Beijing in October.

READ: Bobsleigh: Christine de Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski win bronze at IBSF World Cup event in Austria

Also competing in Sunday’s two-woman bobsleigh event were Cynthia Appiah and Dawn Richardson Wilson, who placed eighth with a time of one minute and 47.56 seconds (+0.85). Melissa Lotholz and Erica Voss finished eleventh with a two-run time of 1:47.84 (+1.13).

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READ: Kripps and Stones claim bronze at bobsleigh World Cup

Canadians landed on the podium three times this weekend. On Saturday, Justin Kripps and Cam Stones won bronze in the two-man bobsleigh. They finished with a time of 1:43.96, slightly behind last weekend’s fourth-place finish. It was the 18th career World Cup two-man medal for 34-year-old Kripps. Eight of them have come with the 29-year-old Stones in his sled since the two joined forces following PyeongChang 2018.

Sunday wraps up competition on the Igls track at the second IBSF World Cup. Competition heads to Altenberg, Germany for the third World Cup of the 2021-22 season.

READ: Sliding towards Beijing 2022: What to watch in bobsleigh, skeleton and luge