From Whistler, CAN
(Nov. 7, 2018) – Julie Johnson scored an upset on home ice, edging World Champion and Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor to take gold in the North American Cup women’s bobsled opener.
The Canadian pilot came into the second run in Whistler just .07 behind the time set by Meyers Taylor. on that second trip down, Johnson held her own, setting the fast pace of the heat and putting the pressure on the American. Meyers Taylor made a mistake halfway down on her second trip down the 2010 Olympic track, falling .2 behind Johnson into the silver medal position.
Johnson’s win comes one year and two days after her last gold medal run, also in Whistler.
It was an all North American podium, with Brittany Reinbolt jumping up from fourth in the first heat to take bronze, edging out Canadian Christine de Bruin by .02 for the spot. de Bruin finished fourth, with China’s Mingming Huai finishing fifth and Kori Hol rounding out the top six.
Nicole Vogt finished seventh to finish out the American effort, while Alysia Rissling struggled in the first heat but did put down a third-fastest second run to finish eighth.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Johnson / Serwaah | CAN | 5.19 | 5.19 | 53.07 | 53.49 | 1:46.56 |
| 2 | Meyers Taylor / Kwaza | USA | 5.13 | 5.14 | 53.00 | 53.76 | 1:46.76 |
| 3 | Reinbolt / Gibbs | USA | 5.24 | 5.21 | 53.27 | 53.61 | 1:46.88 |
| 4 | de Bruin / Bujnowski | CAN | 5.15 | 5.16 | 53.12 | 53.78 | 1:46.90 |
| 5 | Huai / Wang | CHN | 5.37 | 5.38 | 53.68 | 53.94 | 1:47.62 |
| 6 | Hol / Richardson Wilson | CAN | 5.27 | 5.32 | 54.08 | 54.17 | 1:48.25 |
| 7 | Vogt / Hoffmann | USA | 5.31 | 5.33 | 54.49 | 54.06 | 1:48.55 |
| 8 | Rissling / Ribi | CAN | 5.22 | 5.31 | 56.97 | 53.67 | 1:50.64 |
| 9 | Werner / Sparre | AUS | 4.68 | 6.19 | 56.74 | 58.12 | 1:54.86 |
| DNS | Vannieuwenhuyse / Aerts | BEL | 5.31 | 55.85 | DNS | ||
| DNS | Ying / Tan | CHN | 5.35 | 58.69 | DNS | ||
| DNS | McNeill / Douglas | GBR | DNS |
