14 National titles awarded at first Canadian esports championships

Over 100 athletes competed at the inaugural Canadian esports championships over the weekend, with 14 national champions winning the first-ever virtual jersey on the RGT platform across u-17, junior, elite and masters categories. Athletes tackled a difficult 14-kilometer course that will play host to the Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ontario, this summer, with athletes completing between two and four laps of the course.

Thom Thrall was amongst the favorites in the elite men’s competition after finishing 8th at the UCI Esports World Championships a few weeks ago and he did not disappoint, fighting it out with Bruce Bird, Matt Usborne and Travis Samuel at the front of the pack during the 56 km race. In the end, Thrall was edged out by Usborne in the final sprint by only a fraction of a second, with Samuel finishing in third, as Bird was not eligible due to not having a UCI racing licence.

In the elite women’s race, Monilee Keller and Evelyne Gagnon, who also represented Canada at the Esports World Championships, came in second and third behind road cyclist Claire Cameron who took the title. The trio led the entire race alternating at the front, but Cameron was ultimately the stronger sprinter in the final few meters.

Results

Masters 35 – 44 Women: 1- Laura Perry 2- Amanda Scott
Masters 35 – 44 Men: 1- Jeff Muise 2- John Vanderveen 3- Michael Gavelis
Masters 45 – 54 Women: 1- Janna Gillick 2- Debra Parker 3- Josée Rossignol
Masters 45 – 54 Men: 1- Richard Keller 2- Eric Loiselle 3- Greg Boileau
Masters 55 – 64 Women: 1- Diane Bomans 2- Yvonne B.Timewell 3- Gail Wozny
Masters 55 – 64 Men: 1- Bart Gould 2- Albert Chan 3- Daniel Hebert
Masters 65+ Women: 1- Anna Tykoliz
Masters 65+ Men: 1- Dave Wall 2- Alan Sales 3- Thierry Bélanger
u-17 Women: 1- Brittany Stocks
u-17 Men: 1- Félix-Antoine Leclerc 2- Alix Brunelle 3- Filipe Duarte
Junior Women: 1- Ella Myers 2- Isadora Ferguson
Junior Men: 1- Roughan Gaetz 2- Patrick Harris 3- Henrique Martins
Elite Women: 1- Claire Cameron 2- Monilee Keller 3- Evelyne Gagnon
Elite Men: 1- Matt Usborne 2- Thomas Thrall 3- Travis Samue