Olympic bobsledder Cynthia Appiah tearfully apologizes to Canada for performance
Cynthia Appiah serves as a good reminder of just how much pressure Olympic athletes face.
Appiah, a Canadian bobsledder, had a rough go of things in the monobob event. The 35-year-old was sitting in a top-10 position after her first two runs, before a mistake on her third run took her out of contention. Her fourth run was her best, but by then, it was too late.
Appiah, who finished eighth in the monobob in Beijing 2022, was extremely emotional on Monday shortly after her disappointing finish.
“I’m really disappointed with how I’ve performed these past two days,” Appiah said through tears. “I can take some solace on that last run, but I just feel like I let a lot of people down. I just want to apologize to everyone in Canada. I’m so sorry. I really wish it could have gone differently.”
The good news for Appiah is that her ultimate goal of picking up an Olympic medal isn’t over just yet. She will be competing along with fellow Canadians Melissa Lotholz and Bianca Ribi in the two-woman event. Training begins on Tuesday, while competitive heats will take place on Friday and Saturday.
“I guess the great thing about having two events is that I do have a second chance,” said Appiah. “Just get back on the horse and really do it for my brakewomen.”
Despite a disappointing result in women's monobob, Cynthia Appiah still has Olympic dreams š·š«¶ pic.twitter.com/8QexaF1bTr
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 17, 2026
Despite Appiah feeling as though she had let her country down, many Canadians were quick to give her words of encouragement.
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“Don’t apologize to us, you are amazing,” one user wrote. “Only the best of the best ever get there to represent their countries. We love you!”
Canada has won 11 medals so far at the 2026 Olympics, which ranks 15th amongst all countries.
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Freestyle skier Megan Oldham was able to win Canada its second gold of the Olympics in big air on Monday. In just a few days, Appiah, along with Lotholz and Ribi, will look to add further to Canada’s medal count.
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