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Canadian medals on second day of L.A. track World Cup

Silver for O'Brien and Walsh, bronze for women's team pursuit squad

Amelia Walsh Kate OBrien
February 25, 2017
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Amelia Walsh and Kate O'Brien compete in the women's team sprint at the track cycling World Cup in L.A. Photo: Guy Swarbrick

Amelia Walsh and Kate O'Brien won silver in the women's team sprint at the track cycling World Cup in L.A. Photo: Guy Swarbrick

Jasmin Duehring, Kirsti Lay, Laura Brown and Annie Foreman-Mackey stand with their bronze medals, the women's team pursuit squad's second World Cup bronze in eight days. Photo: Guy Swarbrick

There were two medals for Canada on the boards of the Los Angeles World Cup in Saturday’s first full day of events. The very consistent women’s team pursuit squad took its second World Cup bronze in eight days, while the women’s team sprint duo of Kate O’Brien and Amelia Walsh earned a surprise silver.

“It is pretty surreal for me,” said Walsh,  who just moved to track from BMX. “This is only my second track race, so it is surreal to be on the podium, to be honest.”

“I had four keirins and two team sprints, so I had a lot in my legs,” O’Brien said. “But Walshy did a good lead out in the team sprint. Some of the cards played in our favour, but it’s a super exciting thing and we are really looking forward to the future.”

The first full slate of competition at the Velo Sports Center in Carson, Calif., started with the men’s individual sprint qualifying. Canada’s Hugo Barrette, whose team sprint trio didn’t advance after Friday night’s qualifier, posted the 11th fastest flying 200-metres with a time of 10.053. The top time was Russian Denis Dmitriev’s at 9.850.

In the next round Barrette went up against Japan’s Yuta Wakimoto and prevailed, before succumbing to Kiwi Sam Webster’s speed in the 1/8 finals.

Kate O’Brien was very busy on Saturday. First, she had the keirin in the late morning/early afternoon, using the repechage to enter the second round. Then she picked up where she left off with on Friday night with team sprint partner Amelia Walsh. The duo beat China–medalists in the first two autumn World Cups–by .002 seconds in the second round, posting the round’s fastest time to meet the Russian team Gazprom in the gold final.


In the first round of the women’s team pursuit, Canada was matched up with New Zealand after posting the third fastest qualifying time Friday night. Annie Foreman-Mackey took over for Kristi Lay in the lineup. The Kiwis nipped the Canadians by around 2.5-seconds to meet the home U.S. squad for gold. Canada would contest for bronze against the improving Italians, who took silver last week in Cali.

After a two-hour break, the evening session began.

O’Brien emerged from the second round of the keirin with a spot in the 7-12 final. With the team sprint gold medal match looming, her final placing was 11th.

In Canada vs Italy, Foreman-Mackey, Laura Brown, Jasmin Deurhing and Kristi Lay led by 0.4-seconds after a kilometre and continued to open the gap, winning by over 4-seconds. The home team out muscled the Kiwis. Team Canada has now won team pursuit medals in all four World Cups, the men taking bronze in Glasgow and gold in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, and the women earning two straight bronzes in February.


What a moment for O’Brien and Walsh Saturday night. Whatever the outcome, it would be Canada’s greatest women’s team sprint World Cup result. The two Russians were 1.4-seconds faster over two laps to take the gold, but the event revealed the great talent and potential of the Canadian duo.