KONIGSSEE, Germany — Canada’s Kaillie Humphries edged Elana Meyers of the United States by the slimmest of margins Sunday for the overall women’s World Cup bobsled title.
The Calgary native finished with 1,629 points, one more than Meyers. If Humphries — the Olympic champion and now a two-time overall World Cup winner — was 0.03 seconds slower Sunday, Meyers would have won the title.
Humphries and Heather Moyse of Summerside, P.E.I., finished with three World Cup victories, one silver and one bronze medal.
One of the most explosive teams out of the start, the pair set a new women’s start record in Konigssee at 5.17 in both runs.
“Kaillie crushed everyone in that first run and I thought she was going to cruise to a win today,” said head coach Tom De La Hunty.
“But she made a mistake on that second run and when you make a mistake in a snowy race it pays you back double.”
Fabienne Meyer and Tanja Mayer of Switzerland won the last race of the season in a two-run time of one minute 44.01 seconds.
Meyers and Aja Evans had a stellar second run to climb six spots and finish second, just ahead of Humphries and Moyse.
Jennifer Ciochetti of Edmonton, and Chelsea Valois of Zenon Park, Sask., were 12th at 1:45.31.
Canada also won bronze in the four-man race. Lyndon Rush of Sylvan Lake., Lascelles Brown of Calgary and Edmonton’s David Bissett and Neville Wright finished two runs in 1:38.84.
Rush and Brown placed third in the two-man race Saturday
The defending Olympic four-man champion Steven Holcomb and his team won their fourth race of the year in 1:38.54, edging the Swiss sled driven by Beat Hefti by a mere 0.09 seconds.
On Saturday Canadian Justin Kripps, of Summerland. B.C., claimed his first career World Cup bobsleigh race as he and brakeman Bryan Barnett of Edmonton posted a two-run time of one minute 39.71 seconds in a two-man event Saturday.
The victory comes after Kripps’s grandmother passed away Jan. 6, his 27th birthday.
Switzerland’s Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann were second, 0.15 seconds back. Rush and Brown were 0.32 seconds behind their victorious teammates.
American Steven Holcomb was seventh but still managed to capture the overall crown. He finished with 1,645 overall points, 35 more than Hefti.
After posting the fastest first run, Kripps thought of both his grandmother and advice he received from Rush.
“I had that great first run and couldn’t stop thinking I could win this thing,” said Kripps. “Lyndon pulled me aside and said ’Anytime trophies, medals, victories or anything gets in your head slap yourself and focus.’
“I’m so glad he did that because I’d be lying if that didn’t keep coming into my thoughts.”
Rush followed suite with his first World Cup medal of the season.