April 5/22 12:04 pm - Junior-U17 Track Nationals in Milton This Weekend

Posted by Editoress on 04/5/22
 

Canadian track cycling returns to the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton this weekend for the U17 and Junior Canadian Track Championships. From April 8th to 10th, over 75 male and female athletes from across Canada in both categories will be tackling the Individual Pursuit, Individual Sprint, Keirin, Scratch Race, Points Race, Elimination Race, Kilo/500 m Time Trial, Team Pursuit, Team Sprint and Madison in the hopes of winning the maple leaf jersey as national champion.

"The U17 and Junior Canadian Track Championships are always exciting because you don't know what you're going to get - half the athletes are new to their category, and they're all developing so fast at that age that a champion can pop out of nowhere - especially in the spring when they don't have much racing in their legs," said Cycling Canada's High Performance Director, Kris Westwood. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what 2022 will bring."

Several athletes are expected to distinguish themselves in their respective categories, including Junior Scratch Race world champion Carson Mattern, who earned several medals at last year's championships and posted personal best times. On the women's side, second-year Junior Pénélope Primeau and first-year Anabelle Thomas should be highly competitive after both stepping on the podium multiple times at the event last November. The top draws in the U17 category are Ashlin Barry and Nora Linton, who both won numerous medals at past events, although newcomers can always upset expectations in these age categories.

With health and safety for all participants, coaches, officials and volunteers being the top priority, specific event protocols and guidelines will be put in place for the duration of the event. Full safety measures and event information, including the technical guide and competition schedule, can be found Here.