Bobsleigh

There is every reason to believe that Edmonton Eskimos running back Jesse Lumsden will have a realistic shot to represent Canada in the bobsleigh at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Lumsden and Pierre Lueders won the two-man event at Saturday's national championship. They were leading after the first run of Sunday's four-man event, but pulled out of the second run because Lueders wasn't happy with the sled.

Chad Rempel of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was in the sled that eventually won the four-man race.

What began as part of a training exercise to help Lumsden and Rempel prepare for the upcoming CFL season has potentially turned into something much bigger. Lumsden spoke with Eskimos GM Danny Maciocia on Friday, and the team has given Lumsden the green light, fully supporting this endeavour.

"(Lumsden) has obviously in a couple of weeks become quite proficient at being a bobsleigh athlete," said former Olympic champion Lueders. "It's happened before when athletes have come in late and gone to the Olympics and such, so anything is possible."

"It's been a lot of fun," said Lumsden. "It's a great competitive sport to be in, there's a lot of competitiveness within each other, but it's good people too. All around it's just been a great, great opportunity."

Both CFLers impressed at the two-week camp (and at the development camp in Calgary before that), but Bobsleigh Canada coaches and officials were over the moon with Lumsden's potential. His times were consistent with Canada's top brakemen and pushers.

"You look at the numbers...when we did our testing in the Ice House - pushing a bobsled over 15 metres - (and Lumsden) was right there with our best guy on the team, Lascelles Brown," said Canadian Bobsleigh head coach Tuffy Latour. "So we're optimistic that he can push with the best of them."

If Lumsden or Rempel were to go to Vancouver next winter, they wouldn't be the first athletes to combine Olympic experience with a CFL career.

Prior to joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Bob Molle won a silver medal for Canada in wrestling at the 1984 Olympics. He later won two Grey Cup rings (1988 and 1990) as an offensive lineman for the Bombers.

Representing the U.S., John Carlos won a bronze medal in the 200m in 1968. After his track and field career, Carlos played briefly for the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts.

Despite the excitement surrounding Lumsden's performance at the nationals, both he and Canada's Bobsleigh officials are firmly focused on the running back's most immediate goal - preparing for the beginning of CFL training camp.

"One of the things I made sure is to ask him about the (football) game and making sure that he's not thinking about what we're doing. One hundred percent he's committed to football, and I know some of the goals he's told me that he has for the season. I don't think there's any worry about him being in shape for the year and ready to go." said Lueders.

"What's next?" asks Lumsden. "I go back to Hamilton, and get ready to go to Edmonton in mid-May to get ready for June 1st. After the season we'll see what happens. The coaches and I have spoken at length, and they are fully aware that football is my number one priority from June 1st to November 29th, and that's the way it's going to be. I'll definitely stay in contact with all these people, because if there is an opportunity to race for Canada after the season is done then I will jump all over it, absolutely."

Lueders has other reasons for supporting Lumsden's football career - he happens to be a big Eskimos fan.

"I'm from Edmonton, I can't root for anyone else," said Lueders. "Yeah, it's quite ironic. I remember going to the games when I was a youngster and watching his Dad (Neil) play, so it's funny how long I've been in sports."

The World Cup season starts in November, and there will be national team selection races held prior to that. Lumsden won't be able to take part because he will be playing football. The coaches will use the results here to determine where Lumsden will be placed for World Cup races. The Olympic team won't be selected until the World Cup, so there is still every possibility Lumsden could qualify.

"This was my tryout, this was my selection race," said Lumsden. "This gave me the opportunity to show people what I can do within a very short period of time. I'm only mid-way through my training season, so I'm not in the best shape that I will be in coming into the season, so it gives them an idea of where I'm at physically. Really it's up to them, and I'm sure we'll keep the lines of communication open. Like the coaches and I talked about (Sunday), after this is done it's time to get ready for football season."

After the CFL season ends they will give him a couple of weeks to recover and then he will get ready for the World Cup circuit. They don't seem too concerned about his lack of experience or that he would get parachuted into the World Cup, likely in early January.

"Jesse has a great shot at parachuting in," explained Latour. "His performance this weekend was outstanding and we're really looking forward to him coming back to the team. What we're looking for is to get a little bit of a boost at the start, and if he gives us that, all the better."

And how does Lumsden feel about the suddenly-real possibility that he could be competing at next winter's Olympics on home soil?

"To be able to even fathom the chance to do it, it's very exciting. I try not think about it too much, because you get all fired up about it," said Lumsden. "I hope I can contribute to the team, and help push the guys and be a part of it, because it really would be an amazing feat to be able to compete with Canada at the 2010 games in Canada. So I'm going to work hard, have a great football season, we're going to do great things with the Eskimos, and then we'll see what happens."