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Just like that the BMW IBSF World Championships 2021 is over. Following an uncertain start to the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton athletes completed a successful season in an effort to build momentum heading into the Olympic year.   Through the incredible hard work from all of our athletes, staff and coaches, this 2020-21 season has been a success.    With the season now in the books, below is a recap of the how the Canadian athletes fared at the BMW IBSF World Championships 2021in Altenberg, GER.  There was no shortage of twists and turns during the first week of the BMW IBSF World Championships 2021.  Finishing just shy off the podium, we saw strong performances from all of the Canadian athletes.  Cynthia Appiah made her World Championship debut as a pilot, alongside Erica Voss. Appiah slides into the Olympic year coming off a breakthrough ending to the 2021 campaign, serving a warning shot she is ready to compete with the world’s best pilots following a ninth-place finish in the two-woman race. Little expectations heading into the race, Appiah was ecstatic with her top-10 finish. Alysia Rissling and Dawn Richardson Wilson finished in 12th place, concluding Rissling’s return to sliding. Christine de Bruin and Sara Villani rounded off the trio of Canadian women’s sleds, finishing in 16th.  Canada’s two-man sleds wrapped up the opening weekend. Justin Kripps and Cam Stones, and Chris Spring and Mike Evelyn finished back-to-back. Spring made his return to the World Championship circuit finishing in ninth place, while Kripps was 10th in the two-man race. Read more here Skeleton athletes kicked off the second week of action at the 2021 BMW IBSF World Championships   Jane Channell led the pack of Canadian sliders, finishing in eighth place for the second year in row on the Altenberg track. Channell finished just 0.30 seconds off the podium in a nail biter of a race. Channell was joined by Elisabeth Maier, who has made her comeback this season after taking the 2019-20 season off on maternity leave. Maier slid into 18th spot. Mark Lynch and Kyle Murray, did not qualify for the fourth run with the top-20 athletes. Lynch finished 21st and Murray 27th. Read more here Unfortunately Jane Channell and Mark Lynch had to pull out of the Mixed Team event due to injury. But Maier and Murray paired up to finish in 10th place.  All eyes were on the women’s monobob discipline which made its World Championships debut. Cynthia Appiah, Melissa Lotholz and Christine de Bruin were ready to take on the challenge and tackle the German track. Cynthia Appiah stepped into the pilot spotlight for the second time, leading the female Canadian sliders in fifth place. “It was such a great way for me to end a really weird season that we didn’t even think would be happen.” Appiah has truly made her mark in the pilot’s seat as we start the countdown to Beijing 2022.  Melissa Lotholz finished close behind Appiah in seventh place and de Bruin in 16th.  The men were the last to take to the ice in the four-man race. Justin Kripps, Cam Stones, Ryan Sommer and Ben Coakwell finished in fifth place. While disappointed to be just shy of the podium, they are confident with their performance as they carry momentum into the Olympic year.  Chris Spring was joined by Mike Evelyn, Mark Mlakar, and Chris Patrician to finish 10th place. As the 2020-21 competition season concludes, all the athletes continue to show incredible perseverance and resilience in preparing for the unknown and will carry momentum into the 2021-22 season. Read the full round up here