A new velodrome built in her hometown has lured Olympic track cycling champion Kelsey Mitchell back to the sport. Following her participation in bobsled for Canada at the Milan Cortina Games in February, the 32-year-old athlete from Sherwood Park, Alberta, has returned to cycling on the newly constructed Alberta Velodrome in Edmonton. This cycling track is part of the new $153 million Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, which opened in January. It stands as one of only three 250-meter indoor UCI-sanctioned tracks in Canada. The National Cycling Centre was also recently completed in Bromont, Quebec, in 2022.
Kelsey Mitchell, who clinched the women’s Olympic sprint gold in Tokyo in 2021, initially entered the sport through RBC Training Ground without even owning a bike four years earlier. Following an eighth-place finish in Paris in 2024, Mitchell experienced burnout both mentally and physically. Despite trying her hand at speedskating, she found her leg power more suited for bobsleigh, where she teamed up with pilot Melissa Lotholz from Barrhead, Alberta, finishing 13th in the women’s bob event in Cortina, Italy.
Upon her return to track cycling, Mitchell sought a better work-life balance and a change of scenery, which she found at the Edmonton velodrome. The facility’s proximity to her home in Sherwood Park allows her to train on the hardwood track three days a week, just a 30-minute drive away. Mitchell appreciates being close to her family, including her parents, siblings, nieces, and nephew, as well as reuniting with friends after being away for the past seven years.
After the Winter Olympics, Mitchell underwent a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in April to address a longstanding issue in her left leg that had affected her power. She is now focused on meeting the national standard time, with plans to attempt the feat on August 31 for a chance to join the Canadian team. Mitchell, who aims to compete in the Los Angeles Games in 2028, would become a four-time Olympian within a span of seven years if selected.
One of the attractions of the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre for Mitchell is the mix of elite and recreational athletes using the facility. She values the facility’s location in Alberta, its altitude providing a fast track, and its role in introducing track cycling to the public, fostering interest and participation in the sport. Mitchell is grateful for the growth of track cycling facilities in Canada, noting the increase from one to three regulation-sized velodromes, which she believes bodes well for the future of sports in the country.