Canadian bobsleigh team shows its medal(s) at World Cup races in Whistler
Bianca Ribi has spent the past few years honing her bobsleigh driving skills so that she could one day compete on the world stage.
All that hard work paid off over the weekend in Whistler, B.C.
Ribi was competing in her first World Cup monobob race and she beat them all.
Winning the gold medal was a huge thrill for the Calgarian and she says doing it in front of friends and family, who had flown in from Calgary, made it even better.
"It was quite a surreal feeling to even be in the race," said the 26-year-old.
"I had no expectations of winning. I was just hoping to be able to lay down a couple of solid runs and do my country and my family proud. Coming out with the gold was totally unexpected and honestly more than I could have ever dreamed of."
MIXING IT UP WITH THE WORLD'S BEST
Ribi's two-run combined time was 1:50.89 and that was enough to beat the rest of the field.
Ribi is part of the new generation of Canadian women's bobsleigh pilots and she says being able to mix it up with the best in the world will do wonders for her confidence.
"Going forward for the rest of the season but even a great kick-start to my career to believe that I've put in the time and the work and I deserve to be where I'm at today and just keep building every week to get better. I'm still young and I've got a lot to learn but I'm very excited," said Ribi.
MORE MEDALS FOR CANADA
What made the weekend even more special is Ribi shared the podium with another Canadian – Toronto's Cynthia Appiah won silver.
As for the men, it was also a big weekend for Calgary's Taylor Austin and his four-man crew of Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, Cyrus Gray and Davidson de Souza.
The Canadians shocked the world as they slid to a bronze medal.
It was the team’s first career bobsleigh World Cup medal.
The Canadian sled rocketed down the Whistler track to a two-run time of 1:42.37.
Austin says it was a huge thrill to medal.
"To be honest, I'm still processing," said the 32-year-old.
"Obviously, last year we won a lot of races on the development circuit, so I kind of got accustomed to being on the podium. For me to be up there, it really didn't faze me too much. But since we've won, it’s kind of really hit me that this is a massive, massive feat."
The podium performance secured Austin a full-time spot on the national bobsleigh team.
The Canadian team is in Park City, Utah, this weekend for more World Cup racing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.