Kelsey Mitchell, beyond big watts

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You’re no doubt familiar with Kelsey Mitchell’s story. It’s not only been documented in the pages—both print and web—of _Canadian Cycling Magazine_, but it’s also retold at the start of a recent docu-series called _Back on Track_, which focuses on the athletes at the Champions League that ran in the fall of 2021. Mitchell got into track cycling a bit later than most elites. In 2017, at the age of 23, she attended an RBC Training Ground talent identification event. She churned out some serious watts on a bike, which, of course, caught the attention of Cycling Canada. About four years later, she won gold in the sprint at the Tokyo Olympics.

At this year’s first instalment of the Nations Cup series in Glasgow, Mitchell won gold in the sprint. She, along with Lauriane Genest and Sarah Orban, took silver in the team sprint. The next stop in the Nations Cup is in Milton, Ont., from May 12 to 15. Mitchell and her colleagues in the team sprint will be there.

So Mitchell has made it as a track cyclist, right? This is the top? Well, sort of. Mitchell is definitely not an up-and-comer. But she says she still has more to learn. Right now she seems to be beating people with her raw power. But imagine what happens when she matches that power with richer race tactics and experience.

In this interview, Mitchell not only talks about where she thinks she’s headed, but also where she’s been, starting at the Champions League, where a whole lot of cameras and microphones were aimed at the track star.