Haley Smith, based out of the Cycling Canada national training centre on Bear Mountain, has again showed why she is being labelled the Next One in mountain biking.
Smith reached her first senior World Cup podium Sunday in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, by taking women’s bronze. That follows up Smith’s bronze medal, her first major international medal, last year at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
Canada has a history of success in women’s mountain biking.
Smith is following in the pedal straps of three-time world champion and 1996 Atlanta Olympics silver medallist Alison Sydor of Victoria, 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont of Quebec City, and Victoria-trained two-time world-champion, 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Catharine Pendrel.
“I’ve always liked this [Czech] course,” said overall world No. 8-ranked Smith, in a statement through Cycling Canada.
“It really feels like mountain biking. It’s got flow and is about being a bike rider. That’s what I did. I just found the flow and I went for it. I think I was 15 seconds out of top-five heading out on the last lap, and [national team coach Dan Proulx of Victoria] yelled: ‘Seven seconds!’ I knew I just had to give it everything I had, because I would regret it if I didn’t.”
Canada’s top mountain bikers are centralized on Bear Mountain under Proulx’s mentorship.
