'Proud of her': Family and Friends support Kristen Bujnowski who finishes 5th at Olympics

The excitement was palpable inside the Caradoc Legion in Mount Brydges, Ont. Saturday morning.

Hometown hero Kristen Bujnowski and teammate Christine de Bruin were in fourth place with one run to go in the Olympic Two-Woman Bobsleigh event.

"I've watched Kristen for so many years compete and they've been many times in fourth place going into finals," says Rose Bujnowski, Kristen's mom.

"Anything can happen and it's not until the last run goes through that the competition is over".

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, only about 40 family members, as well as close friends and former coaches gathered to watch her compete.

Among those in the crowd were Olympic Gold Medallist Damian Warner, and some of Kristen's former track and field coaches.

Kristen Bujnowski's family at the Caradoc Legion in Mount Brydges, Ont. during the final race of the 2022 Olympics on Saturday Feb. 19, 2022. (L-R) Mark Bujnowski, brother, Rose Bujnowski, mother, Jerry Bujnowski, father, and Matt Bujnowski, brother. (Brent Lale/CTV London)

"If we didn't have COVID I can't imagine what would happen," says Jerry Bujnowski, Kristen's dad.

"There would have been a lot more people here and it would be more exciting.”

Throughout the journey to this point, the local community has been supportive.  The streets are lined with Canadian flags, and signs cheering on Kristen have popped up around town.

"It's a strong community," says Terry Racine, the president of Caradoc Legion Branch 251 who hosted the party.

"It comes right from our council right down to the citizens. Kristen is one of our hometown girls and putting her on this sign in the middle of the street was to try to let everybody know how well she's been doing and what's she has accomplished.”

When it was her turn to hit the track, a loud cheer rang out. However, that quickly turned to 'oohs' and 'ahhs' as the sled hit a wall on the ninth curve, and had too much height on some others.

The Canadians would finish the games in fifth place overall behind three teams from Germany, and one from the United States.

With so many elite teams in the event, it took four perfect runs to reach the podium.

"Everything starts with the push," says Mark Bujnowski, Kristen's brother.

"It's every little tap, and that all adds up in time. I think it's just that the Germans put down a little bit better of a run. They have a little bit better technology. Everything is just going a little better with their sleds.”

However, he was so proud of his sister and de Bruin.

"It's just fantastic what they did.”

Christine De Bruin and Kristen Bujnowski, of Canada, start the women's bobsleigh heat 3 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Her parents echoed that sentiment.

"We're just so incredibly proud of her journey," says Rose.

"Being there with her all this time and just seeing the maturity and the joy she's gotten out of being a part of such an impressive team. Everyone around here has just been so unbelievably supportive and she's heard it.”

As for what's next for Kristen, it's unclear whether she'll try to compete in the 2026 Olympics.

"It's up to her now," says Jerry.

"She'll decide when she gets here what she's going to be doing next. If she decides to go to Italy in four years, I think she's definitely got a group here that wants to come along.”