Jesse Lumsden

Lumsden is the son of former CFL fullback Neil Lumsden. Jesse attended Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario^[2] and Nelson High School in Burlington, Ontario (where he led them to the Metro Bowl Title),^[3] and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography.^[4] Lumsden had a standout career with the McMaster Marauders, where he won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2004 and was invited to the East-West Shrine Game. Lumsden continues to hold several Marauders records, including most touchdowns in a season and for a career.^[5]

Lumsden was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks in 2005, but was released shortly thereafter. Following his release, he had a short tenure with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In January 2006, he was signed to play for the Washington Redskins^[6] and was later released only to play with the Tiger-Cats once again. In 2009, Lumsden signed with the Edmonton Eskimos, but he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in their opening game. On May 5, 2010, Lumsden was released by the Eskimos. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders on a practice roster agreement midway through the 2010 season, and was activated in October.^[7][8]

Lumsden was timed consistently around 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash during his playing career.^{[citation needed]}

Lumsden took part in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics as a member of Pierre Lueders' bobsleigh team; he was the brakeman in the two-man sled that won the Canadian National Bobsleigh championships at the Whistler Sliding Centre, March 21, 2009. It was expected that he participated in both the two-man and four-man teams in the 2009–10 world competitions leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[9] On January 27, 2010 Lumsden was named to the 2010 Canadian Olympic bobsleigh team^[10] where he and driver Pierre Lueders finished fifth both in the two-man and in the four-man bobsleigh events. During the Olympics, he and his four-man bobsled team flipped over during a false turn. Justin Kripps and the others walked out of the accident untouched.

Lumsden partnered with Lyndon Rush for the 2011-12 2011–12 Bobsleigh World Cup season.^[11] They won their first World Cup event in the two-man event on home soil in Whistler, British Columbia in February 2012.^[11] It was the first gold medal of Lumsden's career and his second medal overall. They finished 4th in the World Cup standings that season, and concluded it with a silver medal at the world championships in Lake Placid, New York.^[12]

In the 2012–13 Bobsleigh World Cup season, Lumsden and Rush were on the podium three times, including two wins. They were 3rd at Winterberg, Germany,^[13] and then won twice. Their first victory of the season was in La Plagne, France,^[14] and the second was at Königssee, Germany.^[15] Those results helped Lumsden and Rush win the 2 man overall 2012–13 Bobsleigh World Cup title.^[16]

Lumsden qualified for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics as a member of the Canada 1 four-man bobsled team, and a member of the Canada 2, two-man bobsled. Lumsden finished 7th overall in the 2-man Bobsled competition, finishing 1.4 seconds behind the leader through 4 heats.^[17][18]

Lumsden competed in both the two-man event - with Nick Poloniato - and four-man event - under driver Justin Kripps - at the 2018 Winter Olympics, his third games, finishing 7th in the two-man event and 6th in the four-man event.

In June 2024 Lumsden was appointed high performance director of Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, the national governing body for bobsled and skeleton, after spending four and a half years in the business world with Neo Financial.^[1]