A bobsleigh, once used by Summerland Olympic athlete Justin Kripps, has been put on display in front of the Summerland Aquatic and Fitness Centre on Kelly Avenue.
Kripps grew up in Summerland and tied for gold in the two-man bobsleigh competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea in February.
Kripps and teammate Alexander Kopacz finished with a total time of 3:16.86, tying them with Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis of Germany.
In September, Summerland council approved a decision to purchase an older bobsleigh from Bobsleigh Canada for $7,500. With the additional costs of transporting the sleigh to Summerland and having it on display, the total cost was estimated at around $10,000.
“There are not many sleds anywhere on permanent display so to have one in Summerland would be unique and, I think, would prove to be a big attraction,” Coun. Doug Holmes said at the time. “It’s also, of course, a great way to pay tribute to the amazing achievement of a home-grown Olympic hero and serve as inspiration for today’s youth.”
The sleigh is now on display at the Summerland Aquatic and Fitness Centre until a permanent location is determined.
A plaque to honour Kripps will be designed to go with the bobsleigh.
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