Olympic cyclist Kelsey Mitchell returns to track at new Edmonton velodrome
The Sherwood Park native is training at the $153-million Coronation Park facility after competing in bobsled at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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Olympic track cycling champion Kelsey Mitchell is back on two wheels at the new Alberta Velodrome in Edmonton — a shift she says wouldn't have happened without the facility.
Mitchell, 32, from Sherwood Park, captured women's Olympic sprint gold in Tokyo in 2021. After competing for Canada in bobsled in February's Milan Cortina Games, placing 13th with pilot Melissa Lotholz, she's now training at the velodrome three days a week inside the new $153-million Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre, which opened in January.
It's one of three 250-metre indoor UCI-sanctioned tracks in Canada. The velodrome in Milton, Ontario — built for the 2015 Pan American Games — serves as the national team's training centre. The Centre National De Cyclisme opened in Bromont, Quebec, in 2022.
After placing eighth in Paris in 2024, Mitchell said she was mentally and physically burned out on track cycling. She explored speedskating, but found her leg power better suited to bobsled. Now, back on the track, she's seeking the work-life balance the Milton setup never allowed.
"I honestly don't know if I would have come back to cycling if it wasn't for this facility," she said. "I struggled a bit finding the work-life balance. I'm an all-in kind of person, and so being out in Milton, I did nothing else except train."
The Edmonton location is 30 minutes from her door in Sherwood Park, letting her see family and friends regularly — especially nieces and nephews born while she was away competing. After the Winter Olympics, she also had a platelet-rich plasma injection in April to address a longstanding power issue in her left leg.
Mitchell is targeting a national standard time by August 31 to be included on the Canadian team. She needs to hit that mark to return to the national squad after training independently since her return to the sport.
"I've been on the track now for a solid month and a half," she said. "It came back quicker than I thought." If selected, she'd be a four-time Olympian if named to Canada's team for Los Angeles in 2028.
The facts
When did the Alberta Velodrome in Edmonton open?
The Alberta Velodrome at Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre opened in January 2026.
How often is Kelsey Mitchell training at the Edmonton velodrome?
Kelsey Mitchell trains at the Alberta Velodrome three days a week.
What did Kelsey Mitchell do at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Kelsey Mitchell competed for Canada in bobsled at the February 2026 Milan Cortina Games, placing 13th with pilot Melissa Lotholz.
When does Kelsey Mitchell need to hit a national standard time?
Kelsey Mitchell is targeting a national standard time by August 31, 2026, to be included on the Canadian Olympic team.
