Monique Sullivan wins 3rd cycling gold medal

Calgary track cyclist Monique Sullivan completed a sweep of the gold medals in all three of her events at the Pan Am Games with a victory in the women's sprint final on Sunday night.

The 26-year-old beat fellow Canadian and teammate Kate O'Brien 2-0 in the best-of-three-heats race. 

The pair won the team event on Thursday and set a Pan Am record in the qualification races.

Sullivan added another gold on Friday in the women's keirin.

"Canada has had a pretty strong history in sprinting in general and those people did it more as individuals who stood up and stood out," said Sullivan. 

"Now we're showing a program where we're doing it together and it's a group effort so hopefully we'll see more consistency."

Sullivan's medal haul is indeed impressive considering the 26-year-old left cycling briefly following the 2012 London Summer Games.

"I sort of stepped away and gave up on this dream and the team gave me a second chance and I am grateful for that," said Sullivan.

"I don't know if I really believed in myself that I could make it all the way and I had the team there with people saying, 'I believe in you,' until I was able to say it for myself.

"It's crazy, I never would've expected this. It's just a dream. I think it's a testament to the program and the support we have."

Later Sunday, Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, B.C., won silver in the women's omnium points race.

The men's team pursuit squad of Calgary's Eric Johnstone, Hamilton's Sean MacKinnon, Remi Pelletier of Longueuil, Que., and Edward Veal of Queensville, Ont., beat Venezuela on Sunday to win bronze.

Two-time gold medallist Hugo Barrette earned bronze in the men's keirin final.  

Canada has dominated the track cycling events, winning six gold, a silver and a bronze.