Sask. bobsledder relives Olympic bronze-medal run through fans' eyes

Canada's last hope for an Olympic medal came down to a final heat on the last day of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.

The four-man bobsleigh team of pilot Justin Kripps and brakemen Ben Coakwell, Cam Stones and Ryan Sommer were more than 4/10ths of a second behind Germany through three runs on Sunday.

They would need a clean fourth run to claim bronze.

"When we're going down the track, my head's down. I don't know what's going on," said Saskatchewan-born Coakwell.

"All I can see is when we cross the finish line is a delayed No. 1 come up on the clock. That's what you're looking for." 

And that's what they got: a medal-winning run finishing 6/100ths of a second faster than Germany.

"When I watch it myself, I'm like, 'this was so ridiculous' — like, how close this was, the stress we put people through," Coakwell said.

"It's just … such a weird thing to watch yourself win a medal."

WATCH | Ben Coakwell and Team Kripps go for 4-man bobsleigh medal:

Coakwell, who was born in Regina and also lived in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon, is now a three-time Olympian in four-man bobsleigh.

Before trying the sport in 2012, Coakwell was a track athlete and football running back for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. 

Speaking from his home in Calgary Tuesday, bronze medal around his neck, Coakwell said the previous 48 hours had been "crazy."

"Travelling through the airport, I wore my medal and people were coming up to me and congratulating me. A guy bought me a Starbucks gift card," he said.

Coakwell said he asked many of those people if they watched the race live, and if they did, how they felt in the moment. 

"Hearing people's stories about watching the race is like the coolest part, because that's why you win stuff — to share it with