Alexander Kopacz: Difference between revisions
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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Kopacz started his sporting career as a varsity level [[shot put]]ter at [[University of Western Ontario]] in London, Ontario.<ref name=COCprofile/> With encouragement from his university coaches he attended a Canadian talent ID camp for bobsleigh athletes in April 2013.<ref name=COCprofile/> Kopacz would start racing later that year with [[Nick Poloniato]] on the North American race circuit. The next year he competed with [[Chris Spring]] in the [[2014–15 Bobsleigh World Cup]], his first year in the top level circuit.<ref name=COCprofile/> At the [[FIBT World Championships 2015|2015 World Championships]] Kopacz battled through [[pneumonia]] to help push Spring to eighth place in the four-man bobsled.<ref name=COCprofile/> |
Kopacz started his sporting career as a varsity level [[shot put]]ter at [[University of Western Ontario]] in London, Ontario.<ref name=COCprofile/> With encouragement from his university coaches he attended a Canadian talent ID camp for bobsleigh athletes in April 2013.<ref name=COCprofile/> Kopacz would start racing later that year with [[Nick Poloniato]] on the North American race circuit. The next year he competed with [[Chris Spring]] in the [[2014–15 Bobsleigh World Cup]], his first year in the top level circuit.<ref name=COCprofile/> At the [[FIBT World Championships 2015|2015 World Championships]] Kopacz battled through [[pneumonia]] to help push Spring to eighth place in the four-man bobsled.<ref name=COCprofile/> |
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During that offseason, he would cross paths with two time gold medalist Olaf Hampel who took him under his wing to train Alex in Sonthofen Germany full time as well learning German in one summer. This gamble paid off as Alex would show just how good he became the following season. |
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During the [[2016–17 Bobsleigh World Cup]] Kopacz missed the first half of the season due to an [[adductor muscles of the hip|adductor]] tear.<ref name=COCprofile/> He would return to the World Championships, again pushing Kripps to a sixth-place finish in the four-man. The next season he and Kripps found their groove, they would earn four podium finishes together in the [[2017–18 Bobsleigh World Cup]] and finish first overall in the World Cup to win the Crystal Globe as overall World Cup champions.<ref name=COCprofile/> |
He stepped on the podium for the first time at the [[2015–16 Bobsleigh World Cup]] event in [[Lake Placid, New York]], as part of [[Justin Kripps]]' four-man team.<ref name=COCprofile/> |
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During the [[2016–17 Bobsleigh World Cup]] Kopacz missed the first half of the season due to an [[adductor muscles of the hip|adductor]] tear.<ref name=COCprofile/> He would return to the World Championships, again pushing Kripps to a sixth-place finish in the four-man. The next season he and Kripps found their groove, they would earn four podium finishes together and set a Start record in Altenberg in the [[2017–18 Bobsleigh World Cup]] and finish first overall in the World Cup to win the Crystal Globe as overall World Cup champions.<ref name=COCprofile/> |
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They would carry this momentum into the [[2018 Winter Olympics]] in [[Pyeongchang County|Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]]. In the two-man competition he pushed Kripps two second place through the first two of four runs. In the second day of competition, they were in the lead after three runs. In the fourth and final run they were just a few one hundredths behind [[Francesco Friedrich]] of [[Germany]], but in the final run they made up enough time to win gold. In fact the run put them in a tie with Friedrich for the top of the podium. Kripps and Kopacz began celebrating with team, family, and friends. Kopacz said of the gold medal that "within a couple minutes it was a sea of emotion, a sea of teammates and tears from my parents."<ref>{{cite news |title=Canada's golden bobsleigh duo is a perfect pair |url=https://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/canada-golden-bobsleigh-duo-perfect-pair.html |website=[[CBC Sports]] |date=18 February 2018}}</ref> |
They would carry this momentum into the [[2018 Winter Olympics]] in [[Pyeongchang County|Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]]. In the two-man competition he pushed Kripps two second place through the first two of four runs. In the second day of competition, they were in the lead after three runs. In the fourth and final run they were just a few one hundredths behind [[Francesco Friedrich]] of [[Germany]], but in the final run they made up enough time to win gold. In fact the run put them in a tie with Friedrich for the top of the podium. Kripps and Kopacz began celebrating with team, family, and friends. Kopacz said of the gold medal that "within a couple minutes it was a sea of emotion, a sea of teammates and tears from my parents."<ref>{{cite news |title=Canada's golden bobsleigh duo is a perfect pair |url=https://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/canada-golden-bobsleigh-duo-perfect-pair.html |website=[[CBC Sports]] |date=18 February 2018}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 15:47, 13 May 2020
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Born | 26 January 1990 London, Ontario, Canada |
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 112 kg (247 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country | Canada |
| Sport | Bobsleigh |
Medal record | |
Alexander Kopacz (born 26 January 1990) is a Canadian bobsledder and the reigning Olympic co-champion in the two-man bobsleigh event. He competed in the two-man event at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[2] Kopacz and pilot Justin Kripps tied with the German team of Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis for the gold medal.[3]
Career
Kopacz started his sporting career as a varsity level shot putter at University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.[1] With encouragement from his university coaches he attended a Canadian talent ID camp for bobsleigh athletes in April 2013.[1] Kopacz would start racing later that year with Nick Poloniato on the North American race circuit. The next year he competed with Chris Spring in the 2014–15 Bobsleigh World Cup, his first year in the top level circuit.[1] At the 2015 World Championships Kopacz battled through pneumonia to help push Spring to eighth place in the four-man bobsled.[1] During that offseason, he would cross paths with two time gold medalist Olaf Hampel who took him under his wing to train Alex in Sonthofen Germany full time as well learning German in one summer. This gamble paid off as Alex would show just how good he became the following season.
He stepped on the podium for the first time at the 2015–16 Bobsleigh World Cup event in Lake Placid, New York, as part of Justin Kripps' four-man team.[1]
During the 2016–17 Bobsleigh World Cup Kopacz missed the first half of the season due to an adductor tear.[1] He would return to the World Championships, again pushing Kripps to a sixth-place finish in the four-man. The next season he and Kripps found their groove, they would earn four podium finishes together and set a Start record in Altenberg in the 2017–18 Bobsleigh World Cup and finish first overall in the World Cup to win the Crystal Globe as overall World Cup champions.[1]
They would carry this momentum into the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In the two-man competition he pushed Kripps two second place through the first two of four runs. In the second day of competition, they were in the lead after three runs. In the fourth and final run they were just a few one hundredths behind Francesco Friedrich of Germany, but in the final run they made up enough time to win gold. In fact the run put them in a tie with Friedrich for the top of the podium. Kripps and Kopacz began celebrating with team, family, and friends. Kopacz said of the gold medal that "within a couple minutes it was a sea of emotion, a sea of teammates and tears from my parents."[4]
Personal
He completed his mechanical engineering degree and physics degree at University of Western Ontario in 2013 and 2019 respectively. He enjoys motivating others through public speaking, working as an engineer, and coaching athletes.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Alex Kopacz profile". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ "Alexander Kopacz". PyeongChang2018.com. PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Canada's Kripps, Kopacz tie Germany for 2-man bobsleigh gold". CBC Sports. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ "Canada's golden bobsleigh duo is a perfect pair". CBC Sports. 18 February 2018.
