Canada earns bronze in first ever Olympic Team Pursuit

LONDON – Cyclists Tara Whitten, Gillian Carleton and Jasmin Glaesser earned bronze in the first ever Olympic Women’s Team Pursuit, edging Australia in the bronze medal race.

“It really feels amazing. We had to regroup and I’m really proud of how the team came together today,” Whitten said. “We were just fighting the whole way and it’s just amazing to have done it. We made a decision to use the energy of the crowd. It’s so loud, you can either let it distract you or feed off that energy. We just did our own ride. It’s been really exciting to see the depth of Canadian track cyclist now.”

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Glaesser said. “We knew it was going to come down to the last lap, but we were 100% committed to doing our best.”

“We were so ready to just go out there and do our best. We knew the Australians were going to be a hard team to beat,” said Carleton. “For the last three laps, I was seeing stars. I think going into this, we just wanted to leave everything out there. We’re just ready to share this moment with the rest of the Canadian Team. Hopefully we can inspire some other Canadian performances. The fans here are absolutely crazy about track cycling. Everybody is on their feet the whole time we’re on the track.”

“These three competitors went toe-to-toe, losing a tight race to the world champions in the semi-final and then recovering to win a nail-biter for the bronze medal in front of a packed house at the velodrome,” said 2012 Canadian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Mark Tewksbury. “I was proud to be in the house to cheer on our team and to feel the energy – what a finish!”

“Their teamwork, determination and exceptional skill was on display for the world to see,” said Assistant Chef de Mission Sylvie Bernier. “Tara, Gillian and Jasmin are among the best in the world and they can be proud of their accomplishments here today.”

“Congratulations to the team,” said Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut. “These outstanding athletes delivered a performance worthy of the Olympic history books. They are our heroes and they deserve their success here in London.”

Canadian Olympic Committee Media Office:

Guy Napert-Frenette, Media Attaché, Cycling
Tel: +44 7880060162
Email: guynf@olympic.ca

Jane Almeida, Media Relations Officer, 2012 Canadian Olympic Team
Tel: +44 7714000818
Email: jalmeida@olympic.ca

Dimitri Soudas, Press Chief, 2012 Canadian Olympic Team
Tel: 289-388-6419
Email: dsoudas@olympic.ca