LAURA BROWN FOURTH ON OPENING DAY OF 2013 UCI TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Brown races for a medal in individual pursuit

(Minsk, BEL – February 20, 2013) Canada opened the 2013 UCI Track Cycling World Championships Wednesday with a promising fourth place for Laura Brown in the women’s individual pursuit.

Brown – in only her second world-class individual pursuit — rode to a 3:37.736 in the qualifying round, good enough to advance to the bronze medal final against Australian Annette Edmondson.

“I executed the plan we had established almost perfectly and came away with a sea-level personal best”, said Brown, who was surprised and delighted to make the final. “I struggled to find my pacing in the bronze medal race and rode it out once it was very apparent that I was not going to beat the Australian.”

With Brown’s focus on the team pursuit Thursday, the individual result was a bonus.

“I was disappointed I could not put up more of a fight for the bronze medal, however I am really looking forward to racing the team pursuit tomorrow as that is where my focus and heart resides,” she said.

Brown will line up alongside teammates Gillian Carleton and Jasmin Glaesser Thursday. The Canadian women’s team pursuit program has produced a string of strong results recently, including gold at the most recent world cup in Aguascalientes, Mex., and bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games.