Canadian Para-cyclist Mel Pemble crowned omnium world champion
Victoria resident took honours in women's C3 category in France
Mel Pemble of Victoria won two gold medals and set a world record on the way to becoming a first-time omnium champion at the Para-cycling track world championships.
The 22-year-old shattered the world mark in Thursday's 200-metre sprint, won the women's WC3 scratch race on Friday and added third- and fourth-place finishes in the 500 time trial and four-kilometre individual pursuit over the weekend in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.
Pemble, who was born in England and moved to Canada in 2009, finished the omnium — a four-part endurance event — with 150 points in her debut world championships, two more than Aniek van den Aarssen of the Netherlands and six ahead of American Clara Brown.
Pemble also represented Canada in Para-alpine skiing at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Last month, she broke her own record in the 500 with a time of 40.379 seconds at the Canadian track cycling championships in Milton, Ont.
Also Sunday, the Canadian contingent wrapped up its world championship performance with Calgary's Kate O'Brien and Alexandre Hayward joining Pemble in the mixed team sprint event.
The trio posted a time of 57.311 seconds for 11th place.
O'Brien, a 2020 world champion and Tokyo Paralympic Games silver medallist, captured silver in women's C4 500 time trial on Thursday.
Hayward, on Day 13 of his career racing in a velodrome, placed fifth in men's C3 individual pursuit on Friday.
