Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton Welcomes Dennis Marineau as Head Coach of National Bobsleigh Program

Marineau to focus on rebuilding national program with focus on creating a culture of accountability and respect, strengthening athlete and pilot development, and establishing strong communication

CALGARY—Dennis Marineau is coming home to lead Canada’s National Bobsleigh Program into a new era, bringing more than three decades of Olympic and high-performance leadership to his new role as head coach, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton announced on Tuesday.

A respected leader in the sport of bobsleigh with more than 30 years of experience, and a former National Team athlete, Marineau returns to Canada with a vision focused on athlete development, building a healthy and supportive culture while helping to rebuild the program throughout the next Olympic quadrennial.

“I spent most of my career within the Canadian bobsleigh system, and returning is an opportunity to give back to a program that helped shape me as both an athlete and coach,” said Marineau – a two-time Olympic bobsleigh pilot who competed for Canada from 1984-94.  “I get to come home and show my Canadian pride.”

Marineau has spent the last three decades coaching, mentoring, and developing athletes throughout North American. He returns home to Canada after serving as a technical coach with the U.S. bobsleigh program from 2022 to 2026.

During his time with Team USA, he supported athletes at the World Championships, World Cups and Olympics, including the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

“My experience with Team USA over the last four years reignited my passion for the sport at the highest level. Contributing to Olympic medal performances in Cortina was something I’m extremely proud of, and I believe I can bring those experiences back with me to Canada to help develop a healthy program well into the future,” said Marineau.

“I want to build confident, disciplined, hardworking athletes and staff who understand the value of teamwork, preparation, and execution under pressure. My focus will be on three areas: creating a culture of accountability and execution, strengthening athlete and pilot development, and providing strong communication with clear direction.”

Throughout his career, Marineau has worked with Canadian athletes throughout the athlete development pathway from the introductory level of the sport through to the Olympic stage. He has played a role in the success of every Canadian Olympic bobsleigh medallist including pilots: Pierre Lueders, Helen Upperton, Lyndon Rush, Kaillie Humphries, Christine de Bruin and Justin Kripps.

“Dennis brings an exceptional combination of Olympic experience, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of the Canadian bobsleigh program and the national sport system,” said Ryan Sommer, high performance director, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. “He has helped shape the success of some of Canada’s top athletes over the last three decades, and his passion for developing people on and off the track, building culture, and driving high performance makes him the right leader for our program as we enter this new chapter that will put a strong focus on development. We’re excited to welcome Dennis back in the Canadian Karbon uniform.”

Earlier this spring, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton appointed Sommer – an Olympic medallist – to the role of high-performance director, bobsleigh. A member of Justin Kripps’ bronze medal-winning four-man crew at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Sommer has served as BCS’s high performance manager over the last four years.

Three-time Olympian, Jesse Lumsden, moved into a newly created position as vice president, BCS. Lumsden will split his time between business development, strengthening organizational culture, and contributing directly in the daily training environment as a start coach, working with developing crew.

Further strengthening the high-performance team, two-time Olympic medallist Justin Kripps stepped into the role of high-performance manager for bobsleigh, allowing him to stay closer to home as he and his wife expect their first child this summer. Four-time Olympic bobsleigh pilot, Chris Spring, rejoined the program as a National Team Coach, bringing extensive experience in athlete development and Olympic preparation to work alongside Marineau.

Bobsleigh CANADA Skeleton is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for the sports of bobsleigh and skeleton in Canada. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Karbon, Athabasca Oil Corporation in collaboration with Canada Action’s I Love Canadian Energy campaign, Leeswood Construction, Bomber LD, PX3, Kuritec, Vessi – along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee, Bobsleigh CANADA Skeleton develops champions in the community, on and off the track, who have a passion for bobsleigh and skeleton. Please visit us at www.bobsleighcanadaskeleton.ca.