愛污传媒

Sports

    • Humphries wins Olympic bobsled gold for U.S.; Canada's de Bruin takes bronze

    Canada's Christine De Bruin drives during the women's monobob heat 3 at the 2022 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Canada's Christine De Bruin drives during the women's monobob heat 3 at the 2022 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
    Share
    YANQING, China -

    Kaillie Humphries crossed the finish line, stood on her sled and defiantly posed with folded arms.

    A two-time Olympic gold medallist with Canada, the women's bobsled icon was back atop the podium on the sporting world's biggest stage.

    Only this time, she was decked out in Stars and Stripes.

    Following a trying four years that included accusations of harassment leading to an acrimonious split with the country of her birth, Humphries won the inaugural monobob race at the Beijing Games on Monday in her first Olympics representing the United States.

    "It's a feeling of pride and elation and excitement," she said. "This one feels more emotional than most. It just really hits the heartstrings.

    "I feel very proud. I feel very honoured ... I feel like I've found my people."

    Humphries won with a dominant combined four-run time of four minutes 19.27 seconds, besting American teammate Elana Meyers Taylor by 1.54 seconds -- an eternity in bobsled and the biggest margin of victory at the Olympics in 42 years.

    "It all worked," Humphries said. "I gave my heart and soul to this sport, to this country, to what I love to do."

    Canada's Christine de Bruin -- Humphries' former teammate -- finished third in 4:21.03 in the new women's pilot-only bobsled discipline at Yanqing National Sliding Centre.

    "It's sweet, it's insane," the 32-year-old from Stony Plain, Alta., said after winning her first Olympic medal.

    "It's so surreal."

    Toronto's Cynthia Appiah, meanwhile, was eighth on the 1,615-metre, 16-turn track located about 90 kilometres north of Beijing.

    Humphries fought back tears with her hand over her heart as she sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner' before hugging Meyers Taylor for the traditional photo on the top step of the podium after the trio received their medals, but didn't do the same with de Bruin.

    "She is one of the greats," said de Bruin, choosing her words carefully. "To be up there with her is pretty cool."

    Humphries and Meyers Taylor are the first women to win bobsled medals at four straight Olympics, but the latter said they've had their "differences" as teammates.

    "It was actually easier when she was competing for Canada to be friends, because we're not competing for resources, we're not competing for brakemen," said Meyers Taylor, who tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in China and was a question mark to compete. "But I have so much respect for her.

    "She's done incredible things for the sport, and will continue to do incredible things for the sport."

    Humphries won gold piloting for Canada in the two-woman discipline at both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, and finished third in 2018, but then had a very public split with the program.

    She started racing for the U.S. in 2019 after being granted her release by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton.

    The Calgary product's third podium-topping performance at a Games also came in the wake of a number of challenges just getting to China.

    Humphries didn't require U.S. citizenship to race at other international events, but needed a passport for the Olympics.

    "I'm used to controlling ... a lot of aspects of my career," she said. "But that was one that no matter how hard I fought for, it was never going to be in my control."

    The 36-year-old got the proper documents with just weeks to spare, but then tested positive for COVID-19 last month before recovering in time to make the trip to Beijing following a roller-coaster stretch.

    "To have to part ways, to give up a career, to walk away, to have to stand up for myself in order to put myself in the best state mentally and physically to be safe, I had to advocate for myself," she said. "And that isn't always the easiest thing to do. I had to overcome and work really hard through a lot of uncertainty and a lot of doubt.

    "I had to rely heavily on my teammates, on my coaching staff, on my family and friends, and stick very close to a very small-knit group of people that believed that I still had it."

    Humphries filed a harassment complaint with Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton -- the sport's national governing body -- in 2018, claiming she was "repeatedly and horribly verbally and mentally abused by the head coach."

    "I have repeatedly told Bobsleigh Canada, who has done nothing to stop him, protect me, or get a timely resolve so I can be back competing," she wrote in an email to The Canadian Press in September 2019. "I was forced back to working with him multiple times, which resulted in major mental health issues over this past year."

    Todd Hays, who led the U.S. women's team from 2011 to 2014, has been Canada's head coach since 2017.

    The allegations remain under investigation.

    Humphries, who's also competing in the two-woman event in China, piloted Canada to those back-to-back gold medals in 2010 and 2014 with brakewoman Heather Moyse, making them the first duo to repeat as Olympic women's bobsled champions.

    They carried Canada's flag in the closing ceremony in Sochi, Russia, eight years ago.

    Humphries, who won the 2014 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete, and Phylicia George claimed bronze in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, before Humphries left the program.

    She piloted Canada to gold at the world championships in the two-woman event in 2012 and 2013, and in 2020 and 2021 for the U.S.

    Humphries also won the first monobob race at the last year's worlds.

    Asked if she had any words for Canada after her gold for the U.S., Humphries began with "not really" before continuing.

    "I'm still Canadian," said the dual citizen. "I will never forget my time as part of Canada, and I am so proud and honoured to still consider myself Canadian. I am also American. To me, it's not a rivalry. I'm not picking and choosing one country over the other. Canada will always hold my past. Every single time I represented Team Canada, I did so with my heart and soul.

    "The U.S.A. has my future."

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2022.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.

    Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.

    A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.

    Four people are dead and another is in hospital following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    Canada

    • Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.

    • Another local homeowner says trees owned by the City of Regina have caused damaged to his property for years and has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars spent from his own pocket.

    • An investigation into a climate of fear at a Montreal primary school has reignited a debate about secularism in Quebec's education system, with the provincial government pledging to consider new measures to keep religion out of classrooms.

    • Ontario needs more money to properly deliver the national $10-a-day child-care program now and beyond the life of the current agreement, the province's education minister has told the federal minister in a new letter.

    • Legend has it that on a dark evening in 1988, friends of Supt. Joe Atherton quietly buried his body on the site of the old provincial RCMP headquarters in Vancouver.

    • Richard Robert Mantha, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting several women at a rural property east of Calgary, has fired his legal counsel again.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    • Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    • The Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park has undergone a $29-million makeover.

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    • Legend has it that on a dark evening in 1988, friends of Supt. Joe Atherton quietly buried his body on the site of the old provincial RCMP headquarters in Vancouver.

    • Since the record-breaking atmospheric river hit Metro Vancouver last Friday, 266 drivers have filed ICBC claims for water damage to their vehicles. In some places, flood water was so deep, cars floated away with the drivers still inside, and the engine running.

    • It was a result even the Vancouver Whitecaps hadn't dared to dream of.

    • Four people are dead and another is in hospital following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    • It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.

    • Richard Robert Mantha, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting several women at a rural property east of Calgary, has fired his legal counsel again.

    • A proposed inner-city apartment complex development by Anthem Properties is raising concerns for some residents of Hillhurst and West Hillhurst.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      A consistent weather pattern will have Thursday turn out to be very similar to Wednesday.

    • Quebec鈥檚 Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que. shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer during an investigation.

    • Ottawa police are asking for the public鈥檚 help to identify a vehicle and its driver and passenger, as the investigation continues into a homicide late last month in Ottawa鈥檚 south end.

    • Emergency crews responded to a call for a collision involving a pedestrian on Princess Louise Drive at Hauteview Crescent just before 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

    • An investigation into a climate of fear at a Montreal primary school has reignited a debate about secularism in Quebec's education system, with the provincial government pledging to consider new measures to keep religion out of classrooms.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      High temperatures have been trending in Montreal this season, but that could soon come to an end.

    • Montreal Mayor Val茅rie Plante says she will quit municipal politics after serving the final year of her second term, which comes to an end in November 2025.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      Wind looks to be the big weather story today. We should get gusts in the 30-40 km/h range starting late this morning and continuing through to early evening (7p.m.'ish).

    • Public feedback is divided on proposed changes to Jasper council鈥檚 pay, which includes increasing the base salary and eliminating per diems.

    • An Edmonton tow truck operator has been charged after police say he refused to release a vehicle to its owner.

    • Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.

    • WorkSafeNB is investigating a workplace fatality that took place in Moncton, N.B., last week.

    • A volunteer treasurer is facing charges after funds went missing from Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston鈥檚 riding.

    • A sentencing hearing for a Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killings of his common-law partner and their two young children is set to begin Thursday.

    • A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    • A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that started after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.

    • Another local homeowner says trees owned by the City of Regina have caused damaged to his property for years and has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars spent from his own pocket.

    • Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.

    • Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb鈥檚 home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.

    • A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.

    • Corrections Service Canada has confirmed a women鈥檚 prison in Kitchener is in lockdown.

    • Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

    • The race to form government is heating up ahead of the provincial election on Monday. Both the Saskatchewan NDP and the Saskatchewan Party feel they have the momentum as each leader has been focusing on different areas of the province as the campaign trail nears its end.

    • The Saskatoon civic election is drawing closer, with mayoral candidates outlining their visions to keep the city competitive and attract businesses.

    • Sudbury police say a weapons call about a man pointing a gun at a woman in the city鈥檚 West End on Tuesday afternoon led to multiple charges.

    • A 72-year-old driver was charged Wednesday with following two closely after a five-vehicle crash sent several people to hospital in Parry Sound.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • David Musyj said the process of establishing a new board continues, stressing that it took a longtime for the hospital group to get into the situation it's in and it will take time to make things right.

    • A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.

    • Under tough cross-examination at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911

    • Causing a disturbance at an Orillia shop drew the attention of local police.

    • Stevenson Memorial Hospital is being cautious about visitors during flu season.

    • A 34-year-old motorcyclist has died following a collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end on Tuesday.

    • In the Town of Tecumseh, residents and athletes alike are facing a pickleball problem that may prove costly.

    • About 3,155 threats have been detected by the artificial intelligence-powered security system at Windsor Regional Hospital over the past year.

    • As hospitals elsewhere in Ontario reintroduce mask mandates due to rising respiratory illnesses, Windsor hospitals are taking a more measured approach.

    • Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.

    • When 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque was struck and killed in a crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich in 2021, the community was shaken to the core.

    • A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • A Lethbridge recovery centre, tasked with helping residents struggling with addictions, is celebrating its first year of success in the community.

    • Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge鈥檚 Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.

    • A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.

    • The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒