Bobsleigh tandems lead Canadian medal rush
The bobsleigh team of Justin Kripps and Bryan Barnett won the 2-man event today in Königssee, Germany with fellow Canadians Lyndon Rush and Lascelles Brown third.
Kripps was 0.15 seconds faster than the silver medallist Swiss team with a combined time of one-minute, 39.71 seconds. Rush piloted his sled 0.32 seconds behind Kripps.
Calgary’s Alex Gough won her 17th career individual World Cup medal with a silver in Sigulda, Latvia. After setting a start record in her first run, the 26-year-old was beaten only by the USA’s Kate Hansen. And it was by way of a 41.887 second-run track record, as Hansen raced to a combined time of one-minute, 23.976 seconds. Gough was only 0.076 seconds back.
In other results, World Cup ski cross points leader Marielle Thompson of Whistler, BC battled to a bronze in Austria. And Roz Groenewoud demonstrated surgery earlier in the season is no big deal. The 23-year-old is at X Games and won a silver last night in ski superpipe.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Groenewoud “it’s been such an emotional process having surgery this close to the games. My coaches put together a very strict program, which sometimes has been frustrating to follow. But, I’ve trusted the plan and it’s worked out. I’m excited for the next few weeks of the plan to start getting back my harder tricks. But this is such a perfect way to remember how to compete, how to deal with the butterflies and prepare for Sochi.”
Staying with the X Games, newly named Canadian Olympic Team snowboarder Max Parrot won back-to-back gold medals and Mark McMorris won silver on Saturday in slopestyle. Parrot’s two wins delighted Team Canada of course, but also one of his sponsors…
…and Canada Snowboard.
