Pierre Lueders' bobsleigh ride auction brings winning bid of $3,650

CALGARY - The winning bid for a bobsleigh ride with Olympic medallist Pierre Lueders, and space on the bumpers of his sleds, was $3,650 in an on-line auction.

Lueders, an Olympic gold and silver medallist, took bids on eBay for space on the bumpers of his Canada 1 and Canada 2 sleds.

The winner will have his or her name stamped there during the World Cup season and will get a ride with Lueders down the tracks in either Calgary or Whistler, B.C.

The on-line auction was a fundraiser for the bobsleigh team ahead of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler starting Feb. 12.

Lueders, from Edmonton, has said there are opportunities to buy equipment from other countries in an Olympic year because some teams don't qualify and sell off sleds or sled parts.

The 10-day auction, which ended Thursday, attracted 45 bids starting at $50. The World Cup season opens Monday in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The bobsleigh package was listed in eBay's sports memorabilia section and called "Bobsleigh experience with Olympic medallist Pierre Lueders."