Calgary, August 29, 2017 – The 2017 domestic BMX season concluded on August 26-27 in Calgary, Alberta, with the BMX Canadian Championships and the final round of the Canada Cup series.

On Saturday, over 550 male and female athletes, starting as young as five years old, took part in the Canadian Championships. In the premier Elite women’s category, Drew Mechielsen of Langley, BC, won the women’s title ahead of Daina Tuchscherer of Chestermere, AB, and Chelsea Kingston of Medicine Hat, AB.  The Elite men’s title was taken by two-time Olympian Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC, with James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, winning silver and Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, winning bronze.  The Junior titles went to Avriana Hebert of Edmonton, AB for the women, and Josh Samells of Milton, ON for the men.

Full results can be found at https://cyclingcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Canadian-Championships-2017.htm

On Sunday, riders returned for the seventh and final round of the season-long Canada Cup series.  Series Champions were crowned in Elite, Junior and Junior Development categories, as follows:

Elite Men: James Palmer
Elite Women: Daina Tuchscherer
Junior Men: Josh Samells
Junior Women: Avriana Hebert
Junior Development Men: Ryan Tougas
Junior Development Women: Madelin Ogilvie

Full Series standings can be found at https://cyclingcanada.ca/bmx/canada-cup-series

“In their second year of hosting the Canadian BMX Championships, Calgary BMX did not disappoint,” said Josh Peacock, Competitions Coordinator at Cycling Canada.  “Riders of all ages were treated to an action packed weekend of racing, with over 550 of the nation’s best competing for the title on Saturday. Sunday’s Canada Cup rounded off a successful summer of series racing, with champions crowned in all categories.”

ROCK HILL, July 31, 2017 – Team Canada had mixed results at the 2017 UCI BMX World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA, on Saturday.  Top Canadian performances came from Junior male Benjamin Leslie of Nanaimo, BC, and Elite male James Palmer of North Vancouver, BC, who both made it to the semi-final rounds of their respective categories.

In the Elite men’s competition, Rio Olympian Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC, won all three of his qualifying heats, as well as his eighth-final race, before crashing out of competition in the quarter-final round.  Palmer made it through to the semi-final round before a crash also stopped him from advancing.  Palmer finished 16th overall.  Alex Tougas of Pitt Meadows, BC, a first year Elite rider, made it as far as the eighth-finals.

“It was a good day,” said Palmer.  “I was finishing top-4 [qualifying for the next round] all day, making it to my first semi-final in Elite men at the world championships, which was very exciting.  In the Semi I put it all on the line in the last turn, but unfortunately slid out.  I’ve had lots of improvement this year, which is all you can ask for.”

Nyhaug, who finished fifth at the Olympics last year, said “I’m happy with how I rode.  I got hit from behind in the Quarter and crashed through no fault of my own.  It’s disappointing; I felt great and I was riding well.  But that’s BMX … it is what it is.”

In the Junior men’s competition, Leslie finished 15th overall after crashing during his semi-final race, while Josh Samells (Milton, ON) did not make it past the quarter-final round.

“I was going pretty good until the Semi,” explained Leslie, “sitting in fourth, but I couldn’t make it stick.”

In the Elite women’s competition, both Drew Mechielsen (Langley, BC) and Daina Tuchscherer (Chestermere, AB) did not advance past the quarter-final round, while Canada’s three Junior women competitors all crashed during qualifying.

“We came into these Worlds well prepared,” said national coach Adam Muys.  “We had solid practice sessions at the event.  The race didn’t start so well with crashes in the Junior women, but we had some good performances throughout today.  The riders rode really well, but we had some mishaps and luck didn’t go our way.  We’ve definitely improved over last year, with James Palmer battling for the Main [final] and Alex Tougas laying down some fast times.  Ben [Leslie] set himself up for a spot in the Final and then just had a little mishap.  I’m happy that the program took steps forward, but a little frustrated with our overall results.”

TORONTO, July 11, 2017 – Nearly 100 riders from across Canada competed at the third and fourth rounds of the BMX Canada Cup held in Toronto at the Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre on July 8-9.

Round 3 was an internationally sanctioned UCI C1 event, and attracted Canada’s top BMX athletes, including Tory Nyhaug of Coquitlam, BC, who won the Pan Am Games gold medal on this track in 2015.

Nyhaug (Answer/SSquared) showed why he is still Canada’s top elite male rider by sweeping the Motos in the Elite Men’s competition.  James Palmer (Yess BMX) finished second to Nyhaug in all races, while Alex Tougas was third.

In the women’s competition, Alberta rider Daina Tuchscherer similarly swept the Motos, with fellow Albertan Avriana Hebert (Yess BMX) narrowly defeating Cayleigh van Staalduinen (Daylight Cycle) for second.  Both Hebert and van Staalduinen are Junior aged riders.  Drew Mechielsen, who would have normally battled Tuchscherer for the top spot, finished last in the first Moto and, despite finishing second in the remaining Motos, could only manage fourth overall.

At Sunday’s Round 4 – a national level event – Nyhaug did not compete, opening the door for Palmer to win, followed by Jared Ennis (Crisp Brothers Racing) and Tougas.

Mechielsen had no problems on Sunday and swept the women’s Motos, followed by Tuchscherer and Megane Belanger of Quebec.

In the overall standings after four rounds, Nicholas Doyle (Speedco/Avian/Sinz) of Ontario leads the Elite Men’s standings with 2570 points, followed by Palmer with 2060 points.  Doyle is the only rider to have attended all four rounds. In the Elite Women’s standings, Chelsea Kingston (Lethbridge BMX) leads with 2660 points, followed by Mechielsen at 2080.  Kingston is the only rider to have raced all four rounds.

The Junior standings are led by Alison Grecht (Ssquared/Answer Canada) for the women and Josh Samells for the men.  Britney Hovencamp leads the Junior Devo women rankings, while Alex Grecht (Ssquared/Answer Canada) heads the Junior Devo men.

The BMX Canada Cup continues with Rounds 5 and 6 on August 19-20, in St Albert, Alberta.
Full standings for the BMX Canada Cup can be found at:  https://cyclingcanada.ca/bmx/canada-cup-series

Over 180 riders participated in Rounds 1 and 2 of the BMX Canada Cup last weekend at Action BMX in Surrey, British Columbia.  Riders range in age and abilities from 6 and 7 year old novices to Rio Olympian and Pan American Games champion Tory Nyhaug.

In the Elite categories, Tory Nyhaug, fresh off multiple top-5 results in the World Cup, was the men’s winner in Round 1, ahead of James Palmer and Alex Tougas.  Deven Kawa of Alberta won Round 2 and leads the standings with 1330 points after two rounds.

In the women’s competition, it was Drew Mechielsen on the top step of the podium for Round 1, followed by Junior rider Avriana Hebert and Daina Tuchscherer.  Chelsea Kingston of Alberta leads the Elite standings after two rounds with 1360 points, with Alison Grecht leading the Junior standings with 980 points after winning Round 2.

In the Junior men’s competition Round 1 was won by Benjamin Leslie, in front of Josh Samells and Riley Lavorato.  Samells won Round 2 and leads with 980 points after two rounds.

The BMX Canada Cup resumes July 8-9 for Rounds 3 and 4 at the Toronto BMX Canada Cup.