Olympic champ Kripps supports teammates' fight against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton

Olympic champion Justin Kripps has thrown his weight behind Canadian bobsled and skeleton athletes who are demanding change in their national sport organization, saying they "can't move forward until there is change at the top."

In an Instagram post, the 35-year-old from Summerland, B.C., wrote "The fundamental rules of governance are not being followed and thus there is no one holding the leadership accountable."

Kripps' post is in response to calls from a group of 87 athletes, and growing, for the resignation of two Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton executives: Sarah Storey, who's the acting CEO and president of the board of directors, and high-performance director Chris Le Bihan.

Kripps raced to gold in the two-man bobsled at the 2018 Games and bronze in the four-man at last month's Beijing Olympics.

"I can only speak to my own experience, and while I haven't felt unsafe or mistreated, I'm aware that is not the case for many," Kripps wrote. "Winning an Olympic medal shouldn't be a pre-requisite to being treated with respect and it breaks my heart to hear the stories coming to light.

"I encourage the athletes who have had those experiences to file complaints with safe sport. We have some phenomenal athletes, coaches and staff at BCS, but clearly none of us can move forward unless there is change at the top."

In a CBC Sports story dated Sept. 14, 2019, Kripps was quoted in a statement as saying "all the returning national team members" he's talked to feel they "train and compete in a safe and supportive environment" following then-teammate Kaillie Humphries' allegations regarding head coach Todd Hays.

Humphries filed a harassment complaint with the organization in August 2018 while petitioning to be freed from the Canadian