Canada’s Spring wins bronze in four-man bobsled at World Cup in Whistler

WHISTLER, B.C. – Canada’s Chris Spring earned a bronze medal in four-man bobsled at a World Cup stop in Whistler on Saturday.

The Calgarian drove the Canada 2 sled to a two-run time of one minute 43.83 seconds for his first ever World Cup medal.

Spring was joined by a powerful crew that includes Tim Randall of Burlington, Ont., Edmonton’s Adam Rosenke and Ben Coakwell of Saskatoon.

Alexander Zubkov of Russia won the gold medal with a time of 1:43.29, beating the Russia 2 sled piloted by Alexander Kasjanov by 0.24 seconds.

The 38-year-old Zubkov has now won four-man gold in three consecutive World cups. The team’s success has been credited to new coach Canadian Pierre Lueders, the 1998 Olympic two-man champion who retired after the 2010 Games.

Olympic bronze medallist Lyndon Rush of Humboldt, Sask., drove the Canada 1 sled to an eighth place finish in 1:44.24.

Rush had Olympic teammates Lascelles Brown of Calgary in the fold, as well as Jesse Lumsden of Burlington, Cody Sorensen of Ottawa, and Neville Wright of Edmonton.

The Canada 3 sled, piloted by rookie Justin Kripps of Summerland, B.C., along with Cody Sorenson of Ottawa, Luke Demetre of New Glasgow, N.S., and Nick Carriere of Rockland, Ont., finished 13th with a time of 1:44.91.

The 25-year-old Kripps was in Lueders’ four-man crew at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.