Cycling Canada announces 16 nominees to represent Canada at the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games
This afternoon, Cycling Canada announced the 16 paracyclists nominated to represent Canada at the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games.
This afternoon, Cycling Canada announced the 16 paracyclists nominated to represent Canada at the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games.
Along with the privilege of riding on the country’s behalf, these riders will also have the chance to earn valuable points towards qualifying for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. As with the Pan Am Games, currently underway in Toronto, paracyclists competing in track events will be riding on the new surface of the CISCO Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome. Road cyclists, meanwhile, will be competing on the Ontario Place West Channel on Toronto’s waterfront.
The 16 riders are among Canada’s expected 220 athletes who will be participating in the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games, which begin on August 7 and go until August 15.
Some of the names selected for contention are Robbi Weldon of Thunder Bay, Ont., Shelley Gautier of Toronto, Marie-Ève Croteau from Quebec City, Marie-Claude Molar of St-Hubert, Que., and Daniel Chalifour of Mont-Laurier, Que., all of whom competed at the Guadalajara, Mexico Parapan Am Games in 2011, as well as the Paralympic Games in London, back in 2012.
Weldon, a visually-impaired rider, notably took home four gold medals from the 2011 Guadalajara Parapan Am Games, and was also crowned London’s Paralympic road race champion in 2012.
“With 16 athletes,” said Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young, “this is one of our bigger teams at the Parapan Am Games. It’s nice to see the return of several veterans and [the] emergence of some newcomers as well.” To name just a few of those newcomers, Ross Wilson of Edmonton, Michael Sametz of Calgary, and Charles Moreau of Trois-Rivières, Que. are among the contenders to watch.
“The announcement of the Canadian Para-Cycling Team means we are one step closer to the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games. Congratulations to the athletes named to the team who will proudly wear the maple leaf as they compete in Toronto during the Year of Sport in Canada. We are very proud that the track cycling events will be hosted at the new Cisco Milton Pan Am/Parapan Am Velodrome, one of the three legacy facilities of the Games, which will provide a place for Canadian cyclists to train for years to come,” said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State for Sport.
Tickets are currently available online at toronto2015.org/tickets.
Men’s Team:
Louis-Albert Jolin Corriveau, Ste-Claire, Que.
Daniel Chalifour, Mont-Laurier, Que.,
Alexandre Cloutier, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, Que. (guide)
Ross Wilson, Edmonton
Michael Sametz, Calgary
Charles Moreau, Trois-Rivières, Que.
Mark Ledo, Maple, Ont.
Robert Labbé, Quebec City
Women’s Team:
Shelley Gautier, Toronto
Marie-Ève Croteau, Quebec City
Marie-Claude Molnar, St-Hubert, Que.
Nicole Clermont, Sherbrooke, Que.
Robbi Weldon, Thunder Bay, Ont.
Joanie Caron, Rimouski, Que. (guide)
Shawna Ryan, Saskatoon
Audrey Lemieux, Montreal (guide)
