Winnipeg bobsledder captures gold medal in World Cup event

Canada’s Bianca Ribi captured a gold medal in women’s monobob at the first bobsled World Cup event of the season in Whistler, B.C., Thursday.

The 26-year-old Winnipeg native finished the two-heat race with a time of one minute, 50.89 seconds.

Toronto’s Cynthia Appiah was 0.27 seconds behind and finished second, and American Kallie Humphries took bronze.

Ribi’s first-place finish was threatened by Germany’s Laura Nolte, who appeared to be beating the Canadian’s time before crashing late in her second heat.

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Monobob, where an athlete races solo in their bobsled, is new to the World Cup circuit this season after making its Olympic debut at the Beijing Games earlier this year.

The first bobsled World Cup competition of the season continues Friday with the two-man bobsled. Saturday will feature the two-woman and four-man bobsled events.

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