Gold & Bronze Medals for Canada on Day 2 of The Pan Am Track Championships

Cycling Canada – Aguascalientes, Mexico (August 31, 2018) – Team Canada continued to win medals at the Pan American Track Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico, with gold and bronze medal performances on Thursday, the second day of competition, to add to the bronze medal won on the first day. The Continental Championships offer valuable points for nation ranking in qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Hugo Barrette of Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, won the men’s Keirin competition, defeating two Colombian riders in the final. Unfortunately, Canada’s other competitor in the race, Stefan Ritter of Edmonton, crashed in his semi-final race and had to be taken to hospital for observation.

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Kris Westwood, High Performance Director at Cycling Canada, said, “Hugo put together some fantastic rides to win gold in the Keirin on a difficult day for the Canadian team. Everyone’s thoughts are, of course, with Stefan Ritter after his crash this afternoon. Fortunately, it appears his injuries are not as severe as initially feared and the medical staff expect him to recover fully. We will share updates on his condition when appropriate.”

Canada also won a bronze medal in the women’s Team Pursuit. Canada sent a development squad to Aguascalientes, comprised of Maggie Coles-Lyster, Laurie Jussaume, Devaney Collier, Erin Attwell and Miriam Brouwer. The team caught the Chilean team in the race for the bronze medal.

In other competition, the men’s Team Pursuit squad finished fourth, Evan Burtnick was seventh in the men’s Scratch Race, and in women’s Sprint qualifying, Lauriane Genest was second and Amelia Walsh was seventh. Genest advanced to the semi-final with her second place, and is guaranteed to ride for a medal.
 
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. With the vision of becoming a leading competitive cycling nation, Cycling Canada manages the High Performance team, hosts national and international events and administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country. Cycling Canada programs are made possible through the support of its valued corporate partners – Global Relay, Lexus Canada, Mattamy Homes, Louis Garneau, lululemon, 4iiii, Argon18 and Bear Mountain Resort – along with the Government of Canada, Own The Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

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