Track sprinters Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien crack me up

When Monique Sullivan addressed the people gathered at the Milton velodrome for the recent announcement by Mattamy Homes and Cycling Canada, she wanted to open with a joke. Something about being jet-lagged because she, her team sprint partner Kate O’Brien and other members of the national track cycling team arrived in Milton, Ont., two days ago from Hong Kong where they had competed in the UCI track cycling World Cup.

I spoke with Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien after the formal presentation. I said Sullivan could have opened with the cornball line, “I just flew in from Hong Kong, and boy are my arms tired.” O’Brien, without hesitation, said that that was the perfect Sullivan joke. Corny, dad humour.

The pair has been working together and against one another on the track since May 2014. So how would one celebrate a two-year track cycling partnership? Is it the paper anniversary?

“It depends if we are doing a team sprint that day, or a match sprint,” said Sullivan.

“If it’s a match sprint, you’d give the other person a paper cut!” O’Brien said making them both laugh. While the two do work together in the team sprint, getting fourth in Hong Kong, they do slug it out in the individual sprint category. At the most recent World Cup, they faced each other in the 1/16 round of the individual sprint, with O’Brien advancing. At the 2015 Pan Am Games, the duo won the team sprint. In the individual sprint this past summer, Sullivan took gold, O’Brien silver.

They’ve been training at the velodrome in Milton consistently almost since the facility opened in late 2014. Since arriving back on their home track, the two have at least two sessions a day: sometime two track sessions, sometimes track and a gym workout. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have this place to call home,” Sullivan said. “To have a velodrome that’s ours—I honestly never thought this would happen in my lifetime. So, to have a place to come to everyday to train, that’s familiar, is really remarkable. We have a sprint coach now, Erin Hartwell. Leading up to London 2012, there wasn’t a proper sprint coach with the program, so he’s made a big difference. The recent results are a culmination of having place to train, a coach and working hard. The pieces are coming together a lot easier than they used to.”

A lunchtime track session had started and amateur riders started to whiz by us on the cote d’azur. I started to edge away. “Oh, don’t worry,” O’Brien said. “They’re pretty good.” I asked her to compare life pre- and post-velodrome opening. She said she couldn’t. “I’m so new,” said the bobsledder-turned-track-cyclist. (She juggled both disciplines last winter, but is all track cycling now.) “I came into the program as the velodrome was opening,” she said.

“She’s so spoiled!” Sullivan teased. “But even the fact that Kate’s here is sort of a testament to the velodrome. I’ve always wanted to have a crossover from winter sports to cycling. On the women’s side, it’s hard to find speed/power athletes. If you get them from the winter sports—bobsleigh, skeleton—it can be a really good crossover. But before the pitch was “come try track cycling,” which meant you could ride a trainer all winter in Calgary and it would be awesome,” said the Calgarian with sarcasm, “and you can then ride the outdoor track in Calgary.” The indoor facility in Milton means athletes can get the full experience of track cycling on the 250-m oval. It’s a much better way to spend the winter compared to the trainer.

O’Brien and Sullivan are focused on the track cycling world championships, which will be held in London from March 2 to 6. It’s an important event because their performance will dictate whether Canada will be able to send them to Rio in the summer. Canada’s ability to send riders to the Olympics depends on points accumulated at World Cups and world championships during the past two years. Canada still needs more points for O’Brien and Sullivan’s disciplines. I asked them how they felt about their chances. They didn’t want to say. They didn’t want to jinx it.

“Ironically, I’m looking for wood to knock on right now, and I’m looking at the track,” O’Brien said pointing to the Siberian spruce boards. Sullivan went right to the cote d’azur with her fist ready. “And now Monique nearly gets hit by a bike as she knocks on the track,” O’Brien narrated.

“That guy just gave me an evil look,” Sullivan said.

Really, the lunchtime rider should cut Sullivan some slack. She and O’Brien are trying to get to the Olympics after all.