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Kelsey Mitchell (cyclist)

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Kelsey Mitchell
Mitchell in 2020
Personal information
Full nameKelsey Marie Mitchell
Born (1993-11-26) 26 November 1993 (age 31)
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Height174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
Team information
DisciplineTrack
RoleRider
Medal record
Women's track cycling
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Sprint
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Roubaix Sprint
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham Team sprint
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham Sprint
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham 500 m time trial
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Keirin
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lima Sprint
Silver medal – second place 2019 Lima Team sprint
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Cochabamba Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2019 Cochabamba Team sprint
Gold medal – first place 2022 Lima Keirin
Gold medal – first place 2022 Lima Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2022 Lima Team sprint
Silver medal – second place 2022 Lima 500 m time trial
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Cochabamba Keirin

Kelsey Marie Mitchell (born 26 November 1993) is a Canadian professional track cyclist, most proficient in the sprint event. Notable as a relative latecomer to the sport after commencing training at age 23, Mitchell is the 2020 Olympic champion, 2021 World bronze medallist, and 2019 Pan American Games champion in the individual sprint, as well as a five-time Pan American Track Cycling Championships gold medallist.

Career

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Early career

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Mitchell played several different sports in her early life, including gymnastics, ringette, soccer, and basketball. She later characterized herself as "never technically strong in any of the sports but I had the athleticism." She attended both the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and University of Alberta in Edmonton, and played varsity soccer while there. Upon her graduation in 2017 at age 23, Mitchell felt that "a lot of people when they finish decide to move on in their life and be done with sports. I did not have that feeling at all. I knew it wasn't the end for me."[1] She participated in RBC Training Ground, an athlete funding and talent identification program, which steered her into track cycling.[2] At the time, she did not own a bicycle.[3] Despite having only commenced training the previous December, she won the women's sprint title at the 2018 Canadian championships.[1][4]

2019–21

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2019 was a breakout international season for Mitchell, with notable results accruing first at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. She won gold in the women's sprint, defeating silver medallist Martha Bayona of Colombia with a 11.449 second time. Mitchell was also part of the silver medal-winning Canadian team in the team sprint event, and finished fifth in the keirin.[5][4] A month later at the 2019 Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Cochabamba, Mitchell won gold in the sprint and the team sprint, and a bronze medal in the keirin. In the process she set a new world record in the 200 m track sprint with a time of 10.154 seconds.[6] Mitchell's individual and team results in Cochabamba qualified her to make her World Championship debut at the 2020 edition in Berlin. There, Mitchell and Lauriane Genest were eliminated in the first round of the team sprint and she also did not advance in the keirin, but she finished fourth in the sprint.[7]

Mitchell's results were intended as a ramp-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but shortly after the 2020 World Championships, the entire cycling calendar was disrupted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, the Olympics were delayed by a full year. Mitchell's training was relatively unaffected by the pandemic, as she and her teammates were able to continue on in Milton, Ontario, but they were unable to compete at any leadup events.[8] She would later say the delay may have been "a blessing in disguise" due to the additional preparation time.[9] When the time came, she was named to her first Olympic team. After placing fifth in the keirin, Mitchell won the gold medal in the sprint on the final day of the Tokyo Games, best silver medallist Olena Starikova by two laps to zero. Hers was the twenty-fourth Canadian medal of the Games, and the seventh gold medal, the latter equalling the nation's previous non-boycotted gold medal count from 1992. She was the second Canadian to win the event, after Lori-Ann Muenzer.[10] Mitchell next competed at the World Championships in Roubaix, winning a bronze medal in the sprint over teammate Genest.[11] This was the first World medal for Canada in sprint since Muenzer's bronze in 2004.[12] Mitchell was fifth in the keirin, and with Genest and Sarah Orban was eliminated in the first round of the team sprint.[13] Mitchell finished the season on the newly established UCI Track Champions League circuit, coming third overall across the four sprint events.[14]

2022–present

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Beginning the 2022 season on the Nations Cup circuit, Mitchell claimed gold medals in Glasgow and Milton.[15][16] She was named to the Canadian team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and noted that the 2018 Games had been an early inspiration to her when she was beginning to train.[17] On the first day of the competition, Mitchell, Genest and Orban won the silver medal in the team sprint, the first Canadian medal of the Games.[18] The following day, Mitchell won a second silver medal in the sprint, losing in the final to New Zealander Ellesse Andrews.[19] She remarked afterwards that she had "came up a little bit short, but gave it my all. I'm happy to walk away with a silver."[20] A third consecutive silver medal was then won in the 500 m time trial.[21] Mitchell concluded the Commonwealth cycling program with a bronze medal in the women's keirin event.[22] Weeks later at the 2022 Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Lima, Mitchell put in a dominant performance, winning gold medals in individual sprint, team sprint, and keirin, and taking the silver in the time trial event.[23]

At the 2022 UCI Track Champions League, Berlin, she won a gold medal in keirin.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b Mackinnon, Kevin (30 September 2019). "Kelsey Mitchell: Out of the oil refinery and on a path to the Olympics". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  2. ^ Wong, Agnes (4 August 2019). "Day 9 at Lima 2019: Golden finales, historic firsts and more". Canadian Olympic Committee.
  3. ^ Spencer, Donna (12 September 2019). "Alberta's Kelsey Mitchell discovers her track cycling talent in time for Tokyo 2020". CBC Sports. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b Cook, Adam (11 September 2019). "From the pitch to pedals: Kelsey Mitchell's journey from soccer to record-breaking cyclist". CTV News. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  5. ^ Sturney, Rob (10 August 2019). "Top Lima Pan Am Games cycling performances you missed while you were on vacation". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  6. ^ Tremblay, Philippe (5 September 2019). "Kelsey Mitchell breaks 200 m world record at Pan Am track cycling championships in Cochabamba". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  7. ^ Sturney, Rob (28 February 2020). "Two Canadians finish just outside the medals on Day 3 of Berlin track Worlds". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  8. ^ Dion, Andrea (21 April 2021). "'You test positive and you're done': Alta. track cyclist prepares for Olympics". CTV News. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  9. ^ Jones, Shane (29 December 2020). "COVID cost to Crusaders was the highest on sports scene". Sherwood Park News. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  10. ^ Dichter, Myles (7 August 2021). "Kelsey Mitchell cycles to gold for Canada's 24th medal of Tokyo Olympics". CBC Sports. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Canada's Kelsey Mitchell secures bronze medal at track cycling world championships". CBC Sports. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  12. ^ Sturney, Rob (22 October 2021). "Mitchell beats compatriot Genest for bronze sprint medal at Roubaix 2021". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  13. ^ Sturney, Rob (24 October 2021). "Kelsey Mitchell fifth in the keirin on last day of Roubaix 2021 track worlds". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  14. ^ Sturney, Rob (4 December 2021). "Mitchell earns overall podium spot in inaugural track Champions League". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  15. ^ Blackmore, Hope (22 April 2022). "Kelsey Mitchell is golden in Glasgow". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Canada's Kelsey Mitchell strikes gold in women's keirin for 2nd medal at Nations Cup". CBC Sports. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  17. ^ Smart, Zach (29 July 2022). "Canadian Olympic champion cyclist Kelsey Mitchell 'fired up' for Commonwealth Games debut". CBC Sports. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Canadian swim star Summer McIntosh races to gold at Commonwealth Games". Sportsnet. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  19. ^ Walsh, Courtney (30 July 2022). "Kiwi rider rebounds from stripped silver to win second gold". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Canada's Mac Neil, Turbide swim to gold medals at Commonwealth Games". CBC Sports. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  21. ^ "Canadian cyclist Kelsey Mitchell wins 3rd silver medal of Commonwealth Games". CBC Sports. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  22. ^ Hansen, Matt (1 August 2022). "Four medals for Kelsey Mitchell in four days". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  23. ^ Charlebois, Michael (15 August 2022). "Weekend Roundup: Good showing for Foster at equestrian world championships". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  24. ^ "Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell wins keirin gold in photo finish at UCI Track Champions League". cbc.ca. 19 November 2022.
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