Nyhaug stoked to lead Team Canada into BMX World Championships
The 2017 UCI BMX World Championships begin on Tuesday in Rock Hill, South Carolina and Team Canada’s top racers are ready to pedal to the medal.
The men’s team will be headlined by two-time Olympian and 2015 Pan American Games champion Tory Nyhaug. The British Colombia native took home silver at worlds in 2014 and finished fifth at Rio 2016 last year. This season, Nyhaug was the only rider in the world to advance to the final in all four elite men’s World Cup races. He won a silver medal at the second stage in Papendal, Netherlands to go with two fifths and a sixth place finish, ranking him third in the World Cup standings.
Alongside him will be fellow British Colombian James Palmer, who posted his career-best World Cup result on the Rock Hill supercross track when he finished sixth in 2016. Rounding out the squad are 19-year-old Gaby Malenfant and Alex Tougas, who finished fourth in the junior men’s category at last year’s world championships.
Tory Nyhaug competes in the BMX semifinals at Rio 2016 en route for a fifth place finish. (August 19, 2016, COC/Jason Ransom)
On the women’s side, watch out for 20-year-old Daina Tuchscherer. Tuchscherer had her breakthrough season in 2014, having been Canada’s top ranked junior BMX racer and number six worldwide. That same year she also finished eighth in the junior women’s race at worlds.
Joining her will be Drew Mechielsen who is having her strongest season to date, having advanced to the semifinals in two of this season’s four World Cup races, leading to a career-high 12th place finish.
The three-day event will take place July 25-29.
