Canadian track cyclists take world championship case to Ontario Human Rights Tribunal

Canada's cycling team, from left, Devaney Collier, Fiona Majendie, Kiara Lylyk and Ruby West ride to win gold in the cycling track women's team pursuit final at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Five Canadian track cyclists took their case for inclusion of a women’s pursuit team in this year’s world championship to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal after their appeal was denied by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada.

Cycling Canada intends to enter a men’s pursuit team in October’s world championship in Shanghai, which is the first qualifier for countries for the 2028 Olympic Games, but not a women’s team.

Fiona Majendie, Skyler Goudswaard, Jenna Nestman, Lily Plante and Justine Thomas want the Human Rights Tribunal to issue an interim order requiring Cycling Canada to enter a women’s pursuit team in Shanghai. The deadline to register is Sept. 21.

The women didn’t ask the Tribunal to select an athlete, or determine the composition of a team, but wanted a team entered into the world championship.

In their Tribunal filing, they said they “will permanently lose the ranking points available at the first Olympic qualifying event and a critical component of the training, competition and development pathway necessary to pursue qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.”

Cycling Canada didn’t shut down the women’s team pursuit program, but shifted to a development model. It said the decision to enter men and not women in the world championship was based on performance analysis showing the men were closer to closing the gap on a world top-six ranking than the women, along with budget limitations.

The Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada denied the women’s appeal in a decision Aug. 10.

Arbitrator Carol Roberts said she was unable to find Cycling Canada’s decision unreasonable or inequitable and it was in line with the organization’s published criteria and objectives.

Cycling Canada chief executive officer Mathieu Boucher said in May the door was open to pursuing qualification for the women for Los Angeles in 2028 if “we see amazing talent and we can demonstrate that with proper training, we can be competitive, we’re going to find the money to qualify the team for L.A. and to be competitive.”

But Boucher and team coach Phil Abbott wrote in correspondence to athletes that month that L.A. was unlikely for the women’s pursuit team and that developing a team for 2032 was the objective.

Canada’s women ranked 12th in the world in team pursuit and the men 13th in May. The men have since jumped to 11th and the women remained 12th.

Women’s team pursuit has historically been a strong event for Canada, with Olympic bronze medals in 2012 and 2016 before a fourth-place finish in 2021.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026.