Gold medal win for Sherwood Park athlete in track cycling

EDMONTON -

Kelsey Mitchell, from Sherwood Park, Alta., won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics Saturday.

Mitchell was competing in the track cycling sprint at the Izu Velodrome. Tokyo marks her debut Olympic games and the gold is her first medal win.

Mitchell is also a world record holder, Pan American Games champion and a World Cup medalist, according to Team Canada.

Mitchell was scouted at an RBC training event in 2017 and recruited by Cycling Canada.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Mitchell also placed fifth in the women’s track cycling keirin.

She joins Lori-Ann Muenzer as Canada’s only Olympic gold medallists in track cycling.

Kelsey Mitchell told reporters after the medal ceremony that she never thought competing in the Olympics would be on her radar, let alone winning a gold medal.

“I was driving a truck, eight hours a day riding the brake as my partner was spraying weeds in the ditch, and I just was thinking, this isn’t for me,” she said.

The 27-year-old only started riding at a velodrome four years ago.

“Then I found track cycling and I was gonna go all in. I didn’t know, I had no idea where I’d end up.

“I hadn’t ridden the track,” Mitchell said. “Before, I’d ridden a bike as a kid but nothing since.”

She described winning the gold medal as “surreal.”

“Every time I’m hearing gold medalist Olympic champion, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, it’s real, it’s not a dream,’” she added. “The moment I crossed the line and I knew I’d won I just, I’m just looking around my teammates and looking up in the stands.

“I was out there on the track alone and up on the podium alone but it was a team effort and everyone was behind me.”

Kris Westwood, Cycling Canada high performance director, said Mitchell's win was historic for Canada.

"For a non-traditional cycling nation, I think we've done a pretty amazing job," Westwood said. "We're punching above our weight here."

Back at home, Mitchell’s aunt was cheering her on the entire time.

“It was a very exciting week and… it’s hard to believe that’s something she wanted and she did it, so just really proud,” said Holly Herbert.

“She’s going to go far.”

Herbert plans to meet Mitchell at the airport to be able to give her a hug and see the medal in person.