Christopher SPRING

FROM AUSTRALIA TO CANADA
Represented Australia at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, but after they ended he announced his intention to switch allegiance to Canada. Gained Canadian citizenship in July 2013.

"A lot of people don't realise but the Canadians were actually the ones that had taken me under their wing. And I feel like the choice to compete for a different country didn't lie so much in where my patriotism lied; it was really a decision I made based on what I wanted for myself as a bobsleigh athlete and where I wanted to see my career go." (abc.net.au, 7 Feb 2018)

SOCHI 2014 DEFEAT
After a successful 2013/14 season, he was disappointed to leave the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games without a medal finishing fifth in the two-man event and 11th in the four-man - which he blamed on last-minute changes to personnel and equipment. In 2017, he gave away most of his possessions, including much of his Olympic memorabilia, and began living in a van.

"Instead of filling my life up with material things and stuff, I want to enrich my life more with memories and people that matter to me most. You might say it was a bit of soul-searching, and on the outside looking in it was some tough decisions or some difficult times in my life." (cbc.ca, 13 Oct 2017)

2019/20 SEASON
Took the season off to rest and recuperate, giving himself valuable time off that he never took after the crash that left him seriously injured in 2012. He wasn't diligent in his rehabilitation and it’s costing him in the long run.

"If I had it to do again, would I do it the same? I probably would because I rushed back to make the Games in 2014 and I’m glad to say I was part of that team. But it definitely has taken its toll on my body and I’m having a lot of hip and knee issues now and have been for many seasons. I seem to be able to arrive at the start of each competition season fairly healthy and in good shape and ready to go. But come the end of the season I’m really not doing so well and that’s where it’s most important for us."

He instead worked as a ramp agent at Vancouver International Airport loading luggage and taxiing planes, as well as a taxi bob pilot with Olympians Alysia Rissling (CAN) and Lucas Mata (AUS) on the track in Whistler. "I think it was a good opportunity for us to not fall into the mindset of 'I’m just taking a year off and let’s just chill' and be complacent about things. And don’t get me wrong it’s competitive - it’s the Taxi Bob World Championships every single day that we’re working there. I think it was a good way to take the season off and not go through the motions, and I did get some two-man runs in, so that was really helpful." He returned to the track in the 2020/21 season in Altenberg nearly nine years to the day of his accident, notching three podium performances in the Europe Cup, including a victory in the four-man. (slidingonice, 29 Jun 2020; torontosun.com, 5 Nov 2019; cbc.ca, 9 Jan 2021)

COMMERCIAL PILOT
In 2021, he completed his commercial pilot's license, paving the way to fulfill his dream of flying seaplanes on the west coast of Canada.

"The ability to go to places where you can’t usually get to in regular planes is something that intrigues me a lot...And those places are some places I’d love to explore in the future and if I can do that and make a living then that’s even better." (LinkedIn; slidingonice.com, 29 Jun 2020)

SLED
The four-man sled that he will pilot at Beijing 2022 won Francesco Friedrich (GER) a gold medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. "He definitely wouldn't have sold the sled if he didn't have something better, right?" mused Justin Kripps, pilot of Canada-1. "It's a very expensive item to have sitting in your garage unused, so I can see why he sold it...Friedrich helps other people out, and I don't think the sled thing was a charity thing, to be honest. He could have easily sat on it and sold it after the Games." (espn.com, 16 Feb 2022)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

Three-time Olympian making his debut at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games representing Australia. Competed at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 for Canada, his top finish being fifth in the two-man in Sochi (with retired Canadian Football League player Jesse Lumsden).

Ten top-10 World Championships results in eight appearances from 2009 (four in the two-man, three in four-man, three in the relay). His best result is a tie for fourth (with Great Britain's Brad Hall) in the two-man with brakeman Neville Wright in 2019 in Whistler.