Lumsden named Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton’s director of high performance

CALGARY — Two-time world championship silver medalist and three-time Olympian Jesse Lumsden has been named director of high performance for Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton.

Canada’s governing body for bobsled and skeleton announced the move in a statement Wednesday.

He replaces Chris Le Bihan, who parted ways with the organization in February.

“I am very excited to join Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton from a leadership perspective,” Lumsden, 41, who has spent the past four and a half years in the business world with Neo Financial, said in a statement.

“I always knew I would find my way back into the sport, but it was important for me to step away to develop different skills and work with other high-performing, like-minded people.

“There is a lot that can be taken from that high-performance corporate environment and injected into a national sporting organisation,” he added.

BCS says Lumsden will be responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of Canada’s national bobsled and skeleton programs and will work closely with a coaching and support staff.

He officially takes over the role on Monday.

Lumsden helped Canada win silver in the two-man bobsled at the 2012 and 2017 world championships.

He represented Canada in the two-man and four-man events at three Olympic Games (2010, 2014, 2018) and teamed with Lyndon Rush to win the overall two-man title at the 2012-13 World Cup.

Before focusing on bobsled, Lumsden was a standout running back in the CFL. He spent six seasons with Hamilton, Edmonton and Calgary before retiring in 2011.

“Bobsleigh has expanded my athletic career far beyond what I thought possible,” Lumsden said. “It is a unique sport that offers athletes a unique opportunity.

“Perhaps their sport has been put on hold for some reason, or perhaps they dream of representing Canada in more sports at the international level, like Phlyicia George, Georgia Simmerling or Clara Hughes, to name a few.”

Lumsden’s appointment is the latest major organizational change at BCS. Calgary businessman Kien Tran was named chief executive in May and Tara McNeil took over as president last year. BSC also elected a new slate to its board earlier in the year.

The change began in March 2023 after former president and acting CEO Sarah Storey announced last year that she would not seek a third term amid calls to resign.

More than 70 athletes have called for the resignation of Storey and Le Bihan amid what they called a toxic environment of mistreatment within the organization.

With new leadership at the top of the organization, BCS will focus on improving its results.

Canada had a mixed season of slippage in 2023-24. Canadian bobsleigh had just one bronze medal on the 2023-24 World Cup circuit and did not make the podium at the 2024 world championships.

But there has been more success in the skeleton under new coaches Joe Cecchini, Kevin Boyer and Micaela Widmer. Hallie Clarke became the youngest women’s world champion at 19 and veteran Mirela Rahneva won a World Cup event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press