Five Canadian cyclists are prepared to fight back after it was announced Cycling Canada would not be sending a women’s pursuit team to this year’s world championships slated for Oct. 14-18.
CBC Sports has learned cyclists Skyler Goudswaard, Fiona Majendie, Jenna Nestman, Lily Plante, and Justine Thomas have filed an appeal with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada challenging Cycling Canada’s decision.
It’s their hope an arbitration ruling goes in their favour to have the women’s pursuit team reinstated. The men’s pursuit team is unaffected and is on track to compete.
The lawyers representing the athletes have a history with Cycling Canada.
“The decision raises serious questions about fairness, consistency, and whether female athletes are being afforded the same opportunity to compete and progress as the men’s program,” said Amanda Fowler and Dr. Emir Crowne in a joint statement.
Cycling Canada’s CEO Mathieu Boucher says the national sports organization is not aware of the appeal at this point.
“At this stage we are not aware of any formal appeal being filed, however, we will respect the appeal process if and when that occurs,” Boucher said in a statement to CBC Sports.
Olympic cyclist “shocked” by cut to program
Last fall Crowne and Fowler represented Dylan Bibic in a SDRCC arbitration case involving Cycling Canada.
Bibic had earned Canada’s berth at the world championships last year but was initially passed over to compete in the event by the national sport organization.
Dr. Crowne and Fowler won that arbitration case.
Bibic was reinstated and competed for Canada.
Dr. Crowne and Fowler are once again questioning a decision by Cycling Canada, specifically pointing out that the men’s pursuit team has been entered, while the women’s pursuit team is being excluded.
“As reflected in public reporting, the athletes received no meaningful notice before an entire program was cut, eliminating a critical Olympic pathway,” said Fowler and Dr. Crowne
“The athletes remain committed to a constructive and fair resolution that ensures
consistent and equitable opportunities for all athletes.”
The decision has been met with harsh and swift reaction, including from Olympian Clara Hughes, who called this inexcusable.
“Shame on Cycling Canada for this,” Hughes posted on social media.
Cycling Canada says this is a strategic decision.
On Tuesday, in an interview with CBC News, Boucher said they came to this decision based on level of competitiveness.
“This was not a decision made based on funding. This was a decision made based on the performance and competitiveness of the team, and the need for us to re-shift our focus where we can really have an impact and rebuild that team,” Boucher said.
According to Boucher, data crunched by Cycling Canada analysts shows that the men’s team pursuit has a better chance of success because the “gap” or improvement in race time needed to achieve a top-four result, is much smaller than the women’s.
“The men’s team is performing better, but also is showing a closer gap to close … and is also improving at a better rate,” he said in the interview.
Athletes were first made aware of the decision last week. They then received a letter from Boucher outlining how they came to it. In the letter Boucher acknowledged it was not an easy decision for Cycling Canada.
“It was not made lightly or without due consideration for the impacts it would have on the Women’s Team Pursuit program in the short term,” Boucher wrote.
