Canada’s Santiago 2023 cycling team announced
TORONTO (Sept. 25, 2023) – Cycling Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s cycling team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
The Team Canada cycling team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is:
Athletes:
Ngaire Barraclough (Edmonton, Alta.) – Road, Track Endurance
Jackie Boyle (Toronto, Ont.) – Track Sprint
Devaney Collier (Edmonton, Alta.) – Road, Track Endurance
Chris Ernst (Kitchener, Ont.) – Road, Track Endurance
Michael Foley (Milton, Ont.) – Track Endurance
James Hedgcock (Ancaster, Ont.) – Track Sprint
Gunnar Holmgren (Orillia, Ont.) – Mountain Bike
Curtis Krey (Etobicoke, Ont.) – BMX Racing
Jenn Jackson (Barrie, Ont.) – Mountain Bike
Kiara Lylyk (Guelph, Ont.) – Track Endurance
Fiona Majendie (Vancouver, B.C.) – Track Endurance
Carson Mattern (Ancaster, Ont.) – Road, Track Endurance
Adèle Normand (Alma, Que.) – Road
Sarah Orban (Calgary, Alta.) – Track Sprint
Campbell Parrish (Vancouver, B.C.) – Road, Track Endurance
Teigen Pascual (Squamish, B.C.) – BMX Racing
Riley Pickrell (Victoria, B.C.) – Road
Sean Richardson (Vancouver, B.C.) – Track Endurance
Tyler Rorke (Baden, Ont.) – Track Sprint
Emy Savard (Saguenay, QC) – Team Sprint
Molly Simpson (Red Deer, Alta.) – BMX Racing
Ryan Tougas (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) – BMX Racing
Sandra Walter (Coquitlam, B.C.) – Mountain Bike
Nick Wammes (Bothwell, Ont.) – Track Sprint
Ruby West (Dundas, Ont.) – Road, Track Endurance
Carter Woods (Cumberland, B.C.) – Mountain Bike
Daniel Fraser-Maraun (Anmore, B.C.) – Track Endurance Alternate (Non-Travelling)
Mountain bike, road, and track athletes qualified for Team Canada after their performances at their respective 2023 Pan American Championships, which were held in April and June. For BMX racing, Canada earned quotas for two women and two men based on its standing in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Nation Rankings.
Erin Attwell and Nick Wammes are the sole athletes on this team with Pan American Games experience. Wammes, along with Michael Foley, bring Olympic experience, having represented Canada at Tokyo 2020. Foley was part of the men’s team pursuit which finished fifth at Tokyo 2020 – Canada’s best Olympic result in the event since 1932.
James Hedgcock and Carson Mattern are two of the rookies who will look to lean on the veterans on the team and gain valuable major Games experience of their own. After finishing just shy of the podium in two events at the Milton 2023 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup, Hedgcock will be on a mission to medal in the men’s keirin and team sprint with teammates Tyler Rorke and Wammes. Mattern is no stranger to international podiums, having won two gold medals (in the omnium and individual pursuit) at the 2022 UCI Junior Track World Championships.
Mattern has been inspired by past Pan American Games, citing Toronto 2015 as instrumental in sparking his interest in cycling. The track cycling events took place at the velodrome in Milton – which would later become the Mattamy National Cycling Centre – which is just a short drive from Mattern’s hometown of Ancaster, Ontario. Eight years later, he is excited to have the opportunity to race for Team Canada at the Pan Am Games.
“The Pan Am Games came to Toronto right around the time I started cycling and were a big part of what initially got me excited about the sport,” said Mattern. “Later, in 2019, Canadian riders that I knew and looked up to went and won medals at those Pan Am Games, which was very motivating for me and my future. Now, it’s a little surreal to think it’s come full circle and I get to have this experience for myself. I intend to enjoy the whole process from start to finish!”
In BMX, hopes are high for 20-year-old Molly Simpson, who currently sits sixth in the UCI BMX Women Elite Ranking and is the youngest athlete in the top 10. She won her first career World Cup medal in October 2021 and then took bronze in the U23 division at last year’s world championships.
“It’s an honour to be selected for the 2023 Pan American Games, I couldn’t be more excited to represent Canada,” said Simpson. “This will be my first Games, so I am really looking forward to the experience and the competition. I’m sure the atmosphere will be electric!”
On the road, Riley Pickrell is riding high after winning Stage 2 of the Tour de l’Avenir, considered the Tour de France for U23 athletes.
Mountain bike also promises excitement with Carter Woods working his way through a terrific UCI World Cup season in the U23 division. He has collected six medals from the series so far, including gold in both the men’s U23 cross-country Olympic and cross-country short track categories from the Val di Sole Trentino World Cup. He’ll be fighting for redemption after suffering a mechanical failure at the start line of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which forced him to fight through a competitive field of more than 85 entries for a remarkable 11th-place finish in the men’s U23 cross-country Olympic race.
“The Pan Am Games are an incredible opportunity for the athletes to gain experience,” said Dan Proulx, Canadian National Cycling Team Head Coach. “For many, it will be their first time competing in a Games environment – staying in an athlete village and performing in a new setting where the demands and pressures are slightly different compared to other events. We hope to win medals but more importantly, this is a learning opportunity – an experience that can set up Canadian athletes for success at future Olympic Games. We’re keen to see what this group of riders can do in Santiago.”
BMX racing will take place on October 21 and 22 (Days 1 and 2) at the Parque Peñalolen, while mountain bike will take place October 21 (Day 1) at the Universidad Católica Sports Club in the las Condes district of Santiago. The road races will be held on October 22 (Day 2) and October 29 (Day 9) on the streets of Santiago and Isla de Maipo, and the track events will be held from October 24 to 27 (Days 4 to 7) at the Parque Peñalolen velodrome.
“I’m thrilled to welcome such a big, passionate and energetic team to the Pan Am Games. I can’t wait to witness your dedication in the velodrome, and on and off the road,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “Together, let’s ride towards victory and create a wave of inspiration for all to witness!”
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.
The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Caroline Soble, Communications Manager
Cycling Canada
T: 613-601-8406
E: caroline.soble@cyclingcanada.ca
Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca