Cycling Canada<\/a> leadership. In an email dated April 8, 2026, Sebastien Travers stated: \u201cOur first priority is maintaining participation in the world championships in all the disciplines in which Canada is traditionally represented.\u201d The women\u2019s team pursuit is a discipline in which Canada has consistently participated and achieved success internationally. The announcement that the women\u2019s team pursuit will not attend the 2026 world championships is therefore inconsistent with this stated priority.<\/p>\nFurther, from a qualification standpoint, the women\u2019s team pursuit is currently better positioned than other women\u2019s track endurance disciplines. At present, Canada does not have sufficient points to qualify an individual for the women\u2019s omnium or women\u2019s madison; however, the Women\u2019s team pursuit is already in a qualified position based on participation and results at the Pan American Championships and the UCI Track World Cup in Hong Kong. Removing support at this stage undermines an already viable Olympic pathway.<\/p>\n
In addition, there are serious concerns regarding communication and athlete preparation. At the preparatory camp in Milton ahead of the Hong Kong World Cup, athletes were explicitly advised by coach Phil Abbott that the team pursuit result would not be a determining factor, provided the team competed. Based on this direction, the strategic focus of the camp shifted toward bunch race preparation. If athletes had been informed that team pursuit performance at that event would directly influence the continuation of the program toward the LA 2028 Olympic Games, preparation priorities would have been adjusted accordingly. The athletes were therefore given direction that did not align with the criteria now being applied, and are being evaluated retroactively under conditions that were not communicated in advance.<\/p>\n
Over the past 18 months of UCI-sanctioned competition, objective results demonstrate that the Women\u2019s team pursuit program has performed at a level comparable to, and at times exceeding, the men\u2019s program. At the 2024 world championships in Ballerup, the women placed 4th out of 10 teams compared to the men\u2019s 6th out of 11. At the 2025 Nations Cup in Konya, the women placed 6th out of 9 while the men placed 9th out of 17. At the 2025 Pan American Championships in Paraguay, both programs achieved 2nd place. At the 2025 world championships in Santiago, results were comparable, with the women placing 9th out of 13 and the men 11th out of 16.<\/p>\n
More recently, at the 2026 Pan American Championships in Santiago, the men won gold while the women placed 3rd; however, the women\u2019s squad was a development line-up, including athletes with limited or no prior international team pursuit experience, whereas the men\u2019s team consisted of athletes with established international experience racing together. At the 2026 Hong Kong World Cup, both programs placed within a similar range, with the men finishing 8th out of 13 and the women 10th out of 12. Taken together, these results indicate that the women\u2019s program has historically delivered equivalent or stronger performances relative to the men\u2019s program, with no sustained performance gap that would justify a unilateral withdrawal of support.<\/p>\n
Section 1. Breach of Equity and Equal Opportunity Principles<\/h2>\n
Cycling Canada\u2019s Equity, Access, and Eliminating Discrimination Policy states that participants are entitled to an environment that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, and ensures fair and equitable opportunities for all participants.
By withdrawing support for the Women\u2019s team pursuit program while maintaining support for the men\u2019s program, Cycling Canada is creating a disparity in access to high-performance opportunities based on gender.<\/p>\n
Absent transparent, objective, and consistently applied performance criteria, this decision appears inconsistent with Cycling Canada\u2019s obligations to provide equitable access and non-discriminatory treatment across programs.<\/p>\n
Section 2. Inconsistency with High-Performance Program Mandate<\/h2>\n
Cycling Canada\u2019s National Team framework emphasizes that international competition is foundational to athlete development and that the National Team program exists to deliver athletes to the world stage, including world championships and the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
The UCI Track Cycling world championships represent a cornerstone of this pathway. Denying participation to the Women\u2019s team pursuit program removes access to one of the most critical development and performance environments available to Canadian athletes.<\/p>\n
This decision therefore contradicts Cycling Canada\u2019s own stated high-performance objectives.<\/p>\n
Section 3. Direct Impact on Olympic Qualification for LA 2028<\/h2>\n
Participation in world championships is a key component of the Olympic qualification system for track cycling, governed internationally by the Union Cycliste Internationale.<\/p>\n
Removing support for the 2026 world championships will eliminate a critical opportunity to earn Olympic qualification points, place Canadian women at a competitive disadvantage relative to other nations, and potentially preclude Canada from qualifying a Women\u2019s team pursuit squad for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Given that both men\u2019s and women\u2019s team pursuit are equivalent Olympic events, this creates an unequal pathway to Olympic participation.<\/p>\n
Section 4. Misalignment with National Sport System Objectives<\/h2>\n
Both Sport Canada and Own the Podium prioritize gender equity in high-performance sport, maximizing Canada\u2019s medal potential at the Olympic Games, and supporting sustainable podium pathway programs.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s team pursuit has historically been a competitive discipline for Canada and represents a legitimate Olympic medal pathway. Discontinuing support at a critical qualification stage undermines these national objectives and reduces Canada\u2019s overall medal opportunities.<\/p>\n
Section 5. Disproportionate and Adverse Impact<\/h2>\n
Even if not explicitly intended as discriminatory, the decision has a disproportionate negative impact on women athletes by restricting access to international competition, limiting development opportunities, and compromising Olympic qualification potential.<\/p>\n
Such outcomes are inconsistent with established equity principles within the Canadian sport system.<\/p>\n
Section 6. Request for Review and Action<\/h2>\n
Given the above, we respectfully request that:\u2022 Cycling Canada provide a clear and transparent rationale for this decision, including the criteria used and how they were applied across both men\u2019s and women\u2019s programs.
\u2022 The decision be formally reviewed in light of Cycling Canada\u2019s equity and high-performance policies.
\u2022 Consideration be given to reinstating support for the Women\u2019s team pursuit program\u2019s participation at the 2026 world championships.
\u2022 Sport Canada and Own the Podium assess whether this decision aligns with federal sport policy, funding objectives, and gender equity commitments.<\/p>\n
Cycling Canada has articulated a commitment to equitable opportunity, athlete development through international competition, and Olympic success. The current decision appears inconsistent with these commitments and risks long-term consequences for athletes, program integrity, and Canada\u2019s international competitiveness.<\/p>\n
We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,<\/p>\n
Canadian National Women\u2019s Track Endurance Team<\/p>\n
Canadian Cycling Magazine<\/em> has reached out to Cycling Canada for further comment and will update this ongoing story.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n