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'Plenty of work' to do after Kripps, bobsleigh teammates place 5th in France

Canada's four-man bobsled crew, led by Justin Kripps, bounced back into fifth place on Sunday at a World Cup event in La Plagne, France. They clocked a two-run time of one minute 56.69 seconds on the 19-corner track.

Germany's Francesco Friedrich widens World Cup season lead in 2-man, 4-man

The Canadian Press ·
Canada's four-man bobsled crew of Justin Kripps, Cam Stones, Ben Coakwell and Ryan Sommer finished fifth in Sunday's World Cup race at La Plagne, France. (Hans Pennink/Associated Press)

Canada's four-man bobsled crew, led by Justin Kripps, bounced back into fifth place on Sunday at a World Cup event in La Plagne, France.

Kripps, who dropped to 10th in Saturday's two-man race, clocked a two-run time of one minute 56.69 seconds on the 19-corner track.

It was the first time the 33-year-old Kripps and his crew of Cam Stones of Whitby, Ont., Ben Coakwell of Saskatoon and Ryan Sommer of White Rock, B.C., have competed on the slick French track.

Canada's top crew, which won the opening two four-man races in Lake Placid, N.Y., were in sixth place following the first run and climbed one spot in the standings after the final heat.

"We were decent today. We're just giving up too much time at the start the last couple of weeks to compete with the big guys, and it wasn't my best weekend of driving either," said Kripps. "We have plenty of work to do, but we are still happy with the fifth-place finish."

Latvia's Kibermanis rounds out podium

Francesco Friedrich of Germany drove to the win Sunday in a World Cup four-man bobsled race, marking the seventh time he has swept gold medals in both two- and four-man events in the same weekend.

Friedrich finished in one minute 55.85 seconds. He extended his lead in the World Cup four-man season points standings over fellow German driver Johannes Lochner, who was second in 1:56.06. Lochner didn't race in the two-man event Saturday.

WATCH | Francesco Friedrich widens World Cup lead in 4-man event:

Friedrich leads Germany to 4-man bobsleigh victory

5 years ago
Duration 3:20
Francesco Friedrich's time of 1:55.85 earns gold at World Cup event in France.

Friedrich, also the two-man leader, now has 1,052 points in the four-man standings. Lochner has 1,029.

Oskars Kibermanis of Latvia was third in 1:56.18. The U.S. sled driven by Hunter Church was sixth.

The World Cup bobsled and skeleton season continues next weekend in Innsbruck, Austria.

With files from The Associated Press

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