Canada's Whitten takes silver in Burnaby omnium

Tara Whitten of Edmonton captured silver in the omnium Thursday at the Saputo Burnaby 4 Day international cycling event.

The defending world champion in the omnium won the pursuit and the points race in the multi-discipline event, but it wasn't enough to beat American Sarah Hammer, a three-time world champion who took the gold Thursday with victories in the elimination and 500-metre time trial.

Joanne Keisanowski of New Zealand was third.

Jacob Schwing of Surrey, B.C., was third in the men's omnium, won by American Bobby Lea. U.S. Teammate Kit Karzen was second. Ryan Aitcheson of Kitchener, Ont., finished fourth.

The 30-year-old Whitten said she was using the Burnaby event to hone her tactical skills.

The Canadian's specialty is the omnium, which, at the 2012 London Olympics, will consist of six races over two days. The omnium in Burnaby was a one-day event at shorter distances.

Whitten has got off to a quick start to the World Cup season, winning silver medals at events in Melbourne, Australia, and Cali, Colombia, on the heels of a four-medal performance at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, in October.