It was a good weekend for the Canadian ladies at the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championships in Austria, with two local riders representing Squamish.
Lauren Rosser and Miranda Miller placed 11th and 17th, respectively, in the downhill women’s elite division on Sunday (Sept. 2), solid showings in a field that featured 33 of the best female riders on the planet.
“These results are absolutely outstanding,” Richard Wooles, head coach and high performance director of Cycling B.C., said in a statement. “All our women in the top 20 and three in the top 10. Most of these riders are still very young and I see strong possibilities to move them forward.”
Micayla Gatto of North Vancouver placed sixth in the same race, with Whistler resident Casey Brown in seventh and Claire Buchar of Whistler finishing ninth.
Winning medals at the event was Holly Feniak from the Sunshine Coast winning gold in the junior female division and Steve Smith from Vancouver Island grabbing a bronze in the men’s elite category.
“I'm incredibly happy with the performance of all our athletes at this year’s World Championships,” Wooles said. “Their efforts have raised Canada’s profile in downhill to a new level, we are a force to be reckoned with. Our two medals are really icing on the cake, both well-deserved and hard-fought victories for Steve and Holly. I'm excited for what the future holds for Canadian downhill.”
For more information and full results from the event, visit www.uci.ch.
