Kripps clinches second in overall two-man standings, while Appiah third in monobob

Jan 15, 2022 | 8:45 AM

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland — Justin Kripps raced to second in the two-man World Cup bobsled finale on Saturday, to secure second in the overall standings, while fellow Canadian Cynthia Appiah won bronze in the monobob to clinch third overall.

Kaillie Humphries, a two-time gold medallist for Canada who now races for the U.S. won the monobob, while American Elana Meyers Taylor won the overall title. 

Humphries won in two minutes 22.27 seconds, Meyers Taylor was second in 2:22.31, and Toronto’s Appiah finished nearly in 2:23.22.

Christine de Bruin of Canada was sixth, 1.43 seconds off the pace, and finished fourth in the season’s standings. 

Monobob — just a driver in the sled — is part of the Olympic program for the first time this year. Men’s bobsled have always had two medal events, with two- and four-man racing. Adding monobob gives the women two medal opportunities at the Olympics as well, with it joining the traditional two-person race.

Germany’s Francesco Friedrich is a season points champion in the two-man again, wrapping up the points title on Saturday by winning the World Cup finale, his seventh victory in the eight two-man races this season.

Friedrich finished in 2:11:76, while Kripps, the reigning two-man Olympic champion from Summerland, B.C., and brakeman Cam Stones, from Whitby, Ont., were second in 2:11.95. The German ran way with the season title, compiling 1,703 points to 1,530 by the Canadians.

This is the fourth consecutive season in which Friedrich has been the season champion in both two- and four-man racing.

The World Cup bobsled season concludes with a women’s race and a four-man race in St. Moritz on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2022

The Associated Press