Canadian Justin Kripps already knew what it was like to stand on an Olympic podium. But not his teammates and he wanted to share this experience with them.
That was a motivating factor for Kripps, who guided his crew to a bronze medal in the four-man bobsleigh on the final day of the Beijing Games — Canada’s last.
Kripps, 35, a gold medalist in the two-man bobsleigh at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, took third place, six hundredths of a second ahead of the German crew of Christoph Hafer.
It was the first Olympic medal for British Columbian Ryan Sommer, Ontarian Cam Stones and Saskatchewan’s Ben Coakwell.
“It means a lot to me to have these three guys in the bobsleigh with me, and now they’re Olympic medalists,” said Kripps, of Summerland, BC.
“I came to these Games with an Olympic medal, and this team that worked hard for four years, we’ve been together for four years, and that it all ends with an Olympic medal, it’s just incredible. »
Kripps compiled a combined time of three minutes 55.09 seconds at the National Sliding Center in Yanqing, well behind gold and silver medalists Germany.
The Canadians were third after the first two runs on Saturday. They started round four with a slim lead ahead of Hafer and clung to the podium.
“When you cross the finish line, all of a sudden you realize the pressure there was,” Kripps said. So, it’s amazing to have accomplished it. »
Alberta’s Chris Spring finished ninth overall.
The bronze medal was Canada’s second medal in bobsleigh at the Games — Christine de Bruin won bronze in monobob.
Disrupted preparation
It was the 26and Canada’s medal in Beijing, concluding an outstanding Olympic Games heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, both during the event and in the months leading up to it.
Those 26 medals — four gold, eight silver and 14 bronze — allow Canada to finish fourth in total medals behind Norway (37), Russia (32) and Germany (27). .
However, Canada’s four gold medals are the lowest total since Lillehammer in 1994.
“Let’s not close our eyes to the fact that the past two years have been difficult for Team Canada, which I believe has had to deal with the most restrictive COVID protocols of any country,” said David Shoemaker, general manager. of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Three of Canada’s 26 medals were won by Isabelle Weidemann, Canada’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony.
The long track speed skater won the full set of medals in Beijing, including the country’s first-ever medal at the Games: bronze in the women’s 3,000 metres.
The 26-year-old from Ottawa followed up with silver in the 5,000 metres. She finished with gold in the team pursuit alongside teammates Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais.
She couldn’t ask for better than to conclude her Games at the head of the Canadian delegation at the Bird’s Nest.
“It’s not something I even considered,” Weidemann said of the honor of being the flag bearer. These Games have been so amazing. And I feel like there’s something added every day and I haven’t quite taken it all in. I am at a loss for words and emotions. »
“I can’t wait to go home and reflect on everything that happened. »
Otherwise, the last day was pretty quiet for Canada.
Cendrine Browne, of Saint-Jérôme, finished 16and in the 30 kilometer mass start of cross-country skiing, the second best performance in the country in this event at the Olympics.
The 28-year-old cross-country skier was one position away from equaling Canadian record holder Sara Renner, who finished 15and in the mass start at the Vancouver Games in 2010.
“It’s my best performance ever and one of the best Canadian results. I am speechless,” Browne mentioned.
Her compatriot Katherine Stewart-Jones of Chelsea tied what is now the third-best Canadian mark in the distance by finishing 30and.
Dahria Beatty of Whitehorse finished 39and. Chelsea’s Laura Leclair took the 51and rank.
Earlier, at the National Alpine Ski Center in Yanqing, the Canadian ski team failed to compete for a medal in the mixed team parallel event.
Erin Mielzynski, Erik Read, Cassidy Gray and Trevor Philp lost to Slovakia in the Round of 16.