Chernove, Wilson take titles on the opening day of the para-cycling track world championships in Los Angeles
The first day of competition represented yet another high point for Canada's para-cycling talent.
Canada’s para-cycling athletes added to their noted international prestige on March 2, with Tristen Chernove and Ross Wilson — hailing from Cranbrook, B.C. and Sherwood Park, Alta., respectively — each claiming world titles at the para-cycling track world championships in Los Angeles.
The two athletes, heading up Canada’s international squad, claimed their honours against a tough field of global competition.
Chernove’s win successfully defended his title in the men’s C2 1000-metre time trial, finishing his ride with a board-blazing time of one minute and 15.005 seconds, a result that put him a cozy 2.5 seconds ahead of Japan’s Aizono Kentaro, the event’s second-place finisher. Wilson, meanwhile, took the title in the men’s C1 1000-metre time trial, clocking a time of one minute and 18.925 seconds. In Wilson’s case, his finish put him a spacious three seconds ahead of Australian Darcy Thompson, the category’s silver-medal finisher.
Sebastian Travers, the squad’s head coach, noted Chernove’s and Wilson’s performances as the end result of a dedicated, disciplined phase of training and preparation.
“It was a very good day for Canada with two world titles at the kilo,” Travers said. “Ross Wilson rode a [personal best] of 0.5 seconds and executed his ride perfectly. I have to mention that the work done with his personal coach Cameron Jennings, as well as his strength and conditioning coach Dean Sommerset, has paid off.” Chernove’s performance, Travers added, reflected the British Columbia athlete’s perseverance in the face of illness.
“Tristen rode very well also to win his second title at the kilo,” Travers noted. “Coming back from a viral infection, he really managed to pull it off, with the help of his personal coach Guillaume Plourde.” Now, he says, all eyes are on the next stage of the competition, with the first ride done and dusted for Canadian athletes.
“It is a good opening day and we look forward to tomorrow, where Ross and Tristen will race the pursuit and Marie-Claude Molnar and newcomer Lachlan Hotchkins will each race the time trial.”
