A fresh velodrome built in her local area has reignited Olympic track cycling champion Kelsey Mitchell’s passion for the sport. Following her bobsled participation for Canada at the Milan Cortina Games in February, the 32-year-old athlete from Sherwood Park, Alberta, has returned to cycling on the new Alberta Velodrome situated in Edmonton’s Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, which opened its doors in January.
This indoor cycling track is one of only three 250-meter UCI-sanctioned tracks in Canada, alongside the velodromes in Milton, Ontario, and Bromont, Quebec. Mitchell, who clinched the women’s Olympic sprint gold in Tokyo in 2021, initially entered the sport through RBC Training Ground without owning a bike four years earlier.
Following her eighth-place finish in Paris in 2024, Mitchell felt mentally and physically exhausted but was not ready to relinquish her high-performance athlete status. She briefly explored speedskating before discovering her leg power was better suited for bobsleigh, where she and pilot Melissa Lotholz placed 13th in the women’s bobsled event in Cortina, Italy.
Seeking a balanced environment, Mitchell found solace in returning to track cycling at the Edmonton velodrome. She emphasized the importance of the facility’s proximity to her home in Sherwood Park, enabling her to maintain a work-life balance and reconnect with family and friends after years of being away.
Mitchell also addressed a longstanding leg issue post-Winter Olympics with a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. She aims to meet the national standard time by August 31 to secure her spot on the Canadian team and potentially become a four-time Olympian at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
The integration of the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre with the Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre appeals to Mitchell, who appreciates the facility’s ability to cater to both elite athletes and recreational participants. She views the velodrome as a platform to introduce the public to track cycling and foster interest in the sport, reflecting positively on the growth of sports in Canada with the increased accessibility of velodrome facilities nationwide.
