After 11 days of competition with 13 UCI World Championships and over 200 rainbow jerseys awarded, the inaugural UCI Cycling ‘Super’ World Championships is now in the history books. Hosted in Glasgow, and across Scotland, from August 3-13, 2023, thousands of competitors from over 130 nations participated in the first-ever multi-disciplinary cycling world championships.
Athletes from Canada donned the newly revealed Team Canada kit with pride as they competed against the world’s best athletes. There can be great pride in the fact that the Canadian team has earned its place among some of the world’s top cycling nations. Our Canadian athletes earned a combined 19 medals (3 gold, 7 silver, and 9 bronze) across all the events.
Athletes from BC can take credit for two of Canada’s three gold medals as Mel Pemble of Victoria, BC, repeated as the Women’s C3 Omnium World Champion in the Para-cycling Track event after winning a silver medal in the Women’s C3 Scratch race and a bronze medal in the Women’s C3 500m Time Trial. West Vancouver cyclist, Nathan Clement, had his dreams fulfilled by capturing the rainbow jersey in the Men’s T1 (Trike) in the Para-Cycling Road Time Trial and also won a bronze medal in the Men’s T1 Road Race. Canada’s Para-cycling athletes accounted for 11 of Canada’s 19 medals at the world championships.
Canada’s first medal of the world championships belonged to Rossland, BC’s Bodhi Kuhn who earned a silver medal in the Junior Men’s Mountain Bike Downhill Championships. Whistler BC’s, Esta Bovill, earned a silver medal in the Women’s 45-49 category of the GranFondo World Championships and the world witnessed Canada’s pedalling prowess in the Junior Women’s Mountain Bike Cross-country Olympic (XCO) event as Ontario’s Isabella Holmgren won the rainbow jersey and Canada’s only other gold medal at worlds. Less than a minute behind Holmgren was Squamish, BC rider, Marin Lowe, who captured a silver medal for Canada in the event.
There were many other highlights for BC’s riders sprinkled throughout the 11 days of competition, including top 10 finishes for Victoria’s Sarah Van Dam in the U23 Women’s Road Race, Tegan Cruz of Pemberton and Dane Jewett of Squamish in the Jr Men’s DH race, Erin Attwell (Victoria), Maggie Coles-Lyster (Maple Ridge) and Sarah Van Dam (Victoria) on the track, Comox, BC’s Emilly Johnston came 4th in the U23 Women’s XCO, Cumberland’s Carter Woods fighting back for 11th place after a dropped chain at the start of the U23 Men’s XCO event, and the many inspiring performances by BC athletes in both the Challenge and Championship events in BMX racing.
Aside from medals and results, the chance to experience the highs and lows of international-level competition provides athletes with learning opportunities that contribute to their personal growth in sports and for the rest of their lives. We are proud of all of our athletes who served as ambassadors for the sport for British Columbia and for Canada. Their dedication and hard work continue to inspire future generations and we take great pride in their achievements and ongoing development. A huge shoutout to the athletes and the dedicated team of coaches, staff, and supporters that work behind the scenes to help get them there.
It takes a village to raise an athlete and so we would especially like to thank all of our supporters and sponsors over the years that have passionately given their time, expertise, and/or money to help us provide BC’s athletes with the resources they need to succeed, including access to the best training and development opportunities.
If you would like to get involved and continue to see our sport and athletes grow to the highest level, please consider giving a donation (any amount helps!) to Cycling BC via the BC Amateur Sport Fund. Donations are easily accepted online and electronic tax receipts are provided. Thank you.