Canadian Olympic gold medalist Justin Kripps of Summerland, British Columbia retired at the age of 35 according to Lori Ewing of the Canadian Press on Thursday. Kripps won the gold medal with Alexander Kopacz of London, Ontario in the two-man bobsled competition at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
The Olympic gold medal in Pyeongchang was one of two Olympic medals Kripps won in his career. He also won bronze at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in the four-man. Kripps won alongside Ryan Sommer of White Rock, British Columbia, Cam Stones of Oshawa, Ontario, and Ben Coakwell of Regina, Saskatchewan. Interestingly, Sommer, who is 28 years of age, and Stones, who is 30 years of age, announced their retirement on Thursday as well.
At the World Championship level, Kripps won three medals in events that have Olympic status. He won silver in the two-man at the 2017 International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Championships in Kongssee, Germany with former Canadian Football League running back Jesse Lumsden of Edmonton, Alberta, silver in the two-man at the 2019 IBSF World Championship in Whistler, British Columbia with Stones, and bronze in the four-man at the 2019 IBSF World Championship in Whistler with Stones, Coakwell, and Sommer. Kripps was also the Crystal Globe champion in the two-man in 2017-18.
