Athletes push back after Cycling Canada cancels women’s team pursuit program

At the 2016 Olympics, Canada stood on the podium in the women’s team pursuit. Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay and Georgia Simmerling took the bronze. It was a helluva day for the track program. And, btw, the second Olympic medal in the discipline for Canadian women. They snagged a bronze at London four years earlier.

Now, a decade later, the program is about to be shelved.

Performance objectives for team pursuit squad

In an email obtained by Canadian Cycling Magazine, Cycling Canada informed athletes and coaches that it will not send a women’s team pursuit squad to the 2026 UCI track world championships, citing performance projections and budget constraints.

The message said a recent review of the women’s track endurance program concluded it was “unlikely” a Canadian team pursuit squad would meet performance objectives at worlds next year. As a result, resources will be redirected toward individual events and longer-term development.

Open letter to CC and others

Athletes, however, are pushing back.

In an open letter addressed to Cycling Canada, Sport Canada and Own the Podium, members of the national women’s track endurance team argue the decision contradicts previous commitments, undermines an existing Olympic pathway, and raises serious equity concerns, particularly given that the men’s team pursuit program will continue.

They also point to what they describe as inconsistent communication around selection criteria and preparation priorities, saying athletes were not told that recent performances would determine the program’s future.

The letter calls for a formal review of the decision and asks that support for the women’s team pursuit program be reinstated for the 2026 world championships.

The open letter in full

We are writing to formally raise a concern regarding the decision by Cycling Canada to discontinue support for the women’s team pursuit program for the 2026 UCI track cycling world championships, while continuing to support the equivalent men’s program.

This decision directly contradicts prior communication from Cycling Canada leadership. In an email dated April 8, 2026, Sebastien Travers stated: “Our first priority is maintaining participation in the world championships in all the disciplines in which Canada is traditionally represented.” The women’s team pursuit is a discipline in which Canada has consistently participated and achieved success internationally. The announcement that the…