TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
To the outside world, cycling may seem like an individual sport; athletes spend countless hours training solo on roads, trails and trainers and are alone when crossing the finish line. However, it takes a huge team of dedicated people to get them to the start line, whether it be coaches, team managers, mechanics, physios or doctors.
Meet the Tokyo 2020 para-cycling squad and the staff that will be with every step of the way:
Tristen Chernove (C1)
Track: 3000m Individual Pursuit & 1000m Time Trial
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
In 2015, Tristen Chernove burst onto the para-cycling scene and is showing no signs of slowing down. Competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games only one year after joining the National Team, Chernove won three medals in the men’s C2 Time Trial (gold), Individual Pursuit (silver) and Kilo (bronze). Five years and multiple world titles later, he’s ready to give everything he’s got at his second Paralympic Games in the C1 category.
Kate O’Brien (C4)
Track: 500m Time Trial
O’Brien joined the Canadian para-cycling team in 2020, where she competed at the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Milton. Although this was her first competition with the team, she did not go unnoticed, setting a new world record in the 500m Time Trial and earning the rainbow jersey. In her Paralympic Games debut this summer, Kate O’Brien will be looking to defend her world record and bring home a medal.
Keely Shaw (C4)
Track: 3000m Individual Pursuit
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
Shaw first started competing internationally at the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, where she finished 5th in the Individual Pursuit. One year later, she claimed a silver medal in the event, and has since earned several top-5s at various Track and Road World Championships.
Ross Wilson (C1)
Track: 3000m Individual Pursuit, 1000m Time Trial
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
Wilson is looking to bring home more hardware after winning countless medals at Road and Track Para-cycling World Championships over the last seven years, on top of winning two silver medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, He will be racing for the first time on both the road and the track in nearly two years.
Marie-Ève Croteau (T2)
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
It’s been over a decade of international racing for Marie-Ève Croteau as she takes on her second Paralympic Games this summer. Her accomplishments over the years include being a time trial and road race world champion, several world championships and world cup podiums, as well as a bronze medal at the 2011 Parapan American Games. The Tokyo Games will mark her second competition this year after she finished 4th at the Para-cycling Road World Championships in June.
Joey Desjardins (H3)
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
Desjardins first got into para-cycling simply because he loved the sport. In 2016 he started to turn heads, meeting with coaches and trainers who honed on his talent. Eventually, Desjardins made his way to the National Team, competing in 10 world cups and three world championships, earning his first medal at the 2019 Ostend World Cup in the road race.
Alex Hyndman (H3)
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
In just three years, Hyndman went from being new to the sport to becoming a world championship bronze medallist in the Time Trial. As he heads to Tokyo, Hyndman is aiming for a podium in the very competitive men’s H3 road competitions.
Charles Moreau (H3)
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
Charles Moreau has an impressive international race resume which includes winning two bronze medals in the Time Trial and Road Race at the 2016 Paralympic Games, along with two medals at the Parapan American Games in 2015. Hungry for more success, Moreau will lead the team as he eyes another Paralympic podium finish in Japan.
Shelley Gautier (T1)
Road: Time Trial & Road Race
Shelley Gautier is a seasoned athlete when it comes to competing on the world stage. She is a 17-time world champion and a Paralympic bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Games. After earning another world title earlier this year, Gautier will be aiming for a second medal at her third Games.
Alternates:
Marie-Claude Molnar
Kara Douville
Carla Shibley/Meghan Grant
Michael Sametz
Matthew Kinnie
Coaching Staff:
Leading the charge for the coaching staff is Sébastien Travers who has been a National Team coach for over 10 years and had a standout coaching experience at the 2016 Rio Games when Canadian para-cyclists earned a total of nine medals, the most of any sport. He will be joined by NextGen coaches Guillaume Plourde and Phil Abbott who both work individually with athletes across Canada and have extensive international race experience with the team.
Medical Staff:
Our Canadian team will be in good hands with a solid team of medical professionals and therapists who have been working with the team for numerous years. From team doctor Philippe Gariepy, and therapists including Delphine Leray (therapist), Richard Audet (track physiotherapist) and Philippe Maheau (road physiotherapist), athletes will be in peak form to perform at their best.
Mechanics:
While athletes focus on their performance, Cycling Canada’s mechanics will be on the ground in Tokyo to make sure that everything is running smoothly on the bike. Jamie Bissell (road mechanic) and James Stanfill (track mechanic) will be working with the nine athletes to make sure their bikes are ready to go on race day.
Team Leaders:
Last but not least, let’s not forget the dedicated staff who have been working on the Games logistics for years to book flights, accommodations, transportation and much more for all athletes and staff. Cycling Canada’s High Performance Director Kris Westwood will be assisting the team on the ground while our Para-Cycling Manager Emily O’Connor will be acting as Team Leader.
Don’t miss any of the action on the track from August 25-27 and on the road from August 31 – September 2 on CBC Paralympics.
Schedule:
*All days/times are in Japan Standard Time
August 25 (10:00am – 3:25pm)
Events: Women’s C4 3000m Individual Pursuit
Team Canada Athletes: Keely Shaw
August 26 (10:00am – 4:40pm)
Events: Men’s C1 3000m Individual Pursuit
Team Canada Athletes: Tristen Chernove & Ross Wilson
August 27 (10:00am – 4:30pm)
Events: Women’s 500m Time Trial, Men’s C1 1000m Time Trial
Team Canada Athletes: Kate O’Brien, Tristen Chernove & Ross Wilson
August 31 (8:00am – 5:15pm)
Event: Road Time Trial (All categories)
Team Canada Athletes: Tristen Chernove, Joey Desjardins, Alex Hyndman, Charles Moreau, Ross Wilson, Shelley Gautier, Marie-Éve Croteau, Kate O’Brien and Keely Shaw
September 1 (9:30am – 5:05pm)
Event: Men’s H3 Road Race
Team Canada Athletes: Joey Desjardins, Alex Hyndman and Charles Moreau
September 2 (9:30am – 4:45pm)
Event: Men’s C1 Road Race, Women’s T1, T2 & C4 Road Race
Team Canada Athletes: Ross Wilson, Tristen Chernove, Shelley Gautier, Keely Shaw and Marie-Ève Croteau
