Candice Ward/COC
Candice Ward/COC

Nick Wammes

Biography

Nick Wammes made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, where he competed in the men’s sprint and keirin events, before he ever participated at the elite UCI Track World Championships.  

Wammes had not yet turned 20 when he represented Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. Less than eight weeks later, he won three national titles at the 2019 Canadian Championships, finishing first in the keirin, sprint, and team sprint events. In his return to the Pan Am Games at Santiago 2023, Wammes won gold in the men’s team sprint alongside Tyler Rorke and James Hedgcock. He just missed the podium in the individual sprint, placing fourth. Earlier in 2023, Wammes, Rorke, and Hedgcock won team sprint gold at the Pan American Championships. That improved upon the silver Wammes and Rorke had won with Ryan Dodyk at the 2022 Pan American Championships. 

Wammes competed at the UCI Track World Championships for the first time in 2021. He was part of back-to-back top-eight finishes in the team sprint in 2021 and 2022. 

In 2022, Wammes represented Canada at the Commonwealth Games where he, Rorke, and Dodyk placed fourth in the team sprint and he place in the top-10 in the sprint. 

Wammes made his UCI World Cup debut in January 2019 in Cambridge, New Zealand, competing in the sprint and keirin. He earned his first medal on what was now the UCI Nations Cup circuit in September 2021 when he took team sprint gold with Dodyk and Hugo Barrette in Cali, Colombia. 

In 2016, the same year he decided to focus on track cycling, Wammes won two medals in the junior division at the Canadian championships. A year later, he won junior national titles in the keirin and team sprint. In both 2016 and 2017, Wammes represented Canada at the UCI World Junior Championships. 

In 2018, Wammes transitioned into the elite category and won sprint bronze at the Canadian championships. That December, he earned his first major podium at a UCI-sanctioned event outside of Canada, taking the sprint victory at a C1 event in Portugal. That affirmed all the hard work he had put in to advance his career. He won his first national titles at the 2019 Canadian Championships, finishing first in the keirin, sprint, and team sprint events. 

A Little More About Nick

Getting into the Sport: Started participating and competing in track cycling at age 12… Began as an endurance athlete, competing in both road and track events before focusing solely on track sprinting in early 2016… Was hooked by the thrill of the speed… Often had difficulty explaining his sport to people in his small, hockey-focused hometown… Outside Interests: Hobbies include photography, videography and hiking… Odds and Ends: Favourite mottoes: It’s not about how bad you want it, it all comes down to how hard you are willing to work for it / A goal is a dream with a deadline…

Olympic Highlights

Games Sport Event Finish
Tokyo 2020Cycling - TrackKeirin - Men27
Tokyo 2020Cycling - TrackSprint - Men14

Notable International Results

Olympic Games: 2020 - 14th (sprint), 27th (keirin)

Pan American Games: 2019 – 9th (sprint)

Pan American Championships: 2019 – 7th (sprint) 

UCI World Junior Track Championships: 2017 – 23rd (keirin), 24th (sprint); 2016 – 29th (sprint), 29th (time trial)