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The national mountain biking program, centred on Bear Mountain, experienced a post-Rio dip with Emily Batty鈥檚 seventh place in the elite women鈥檚 race the top Canadian cross-country performance as the 2017 world championships concluded in Cairns, Australia, on Saturday.
Last year in Rio, Batty was fourth behind Olympic bronze-medallist Catharine Pendrel, the Island-trained graduate of the University of Victoria.
Two-time world champion Pendrel was 27th overall Saturday and the third Canadian behind 16th-place Haley Smith, whose development has been rapid since relocating to Victoria from Uxbridge, Ont., in 2015.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what to think,鈥� Smith, 22, said in a statement.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been inside the top 20 before. I know it鈥檚 not a podium result, but it鈥檚 absolutely huge for me, so I don鈥檛 know how to process it. I couldn鈥檛 have hoped for a season this good. This is a big jump for me.鈥�
Leandre Bouchard was top Canadian elite male in cross- country in 24th spot, with Andrew L'Esperance 44th, Derek Zandstra 45th, Evan McNeely 46th and Raphael Gagne 52nd.
Switzerland swept the 2017 world titles with Nino Schurter winning the elite men鈥檚 and Jolanda Neff the elite women鈥檚.
The biggest result this year at the worlds for sa国际传媒 was Squamish product Holden Jones鈥� bronze medal in junior men鈥檚.
Canadian team head coach Dan Proulx of Victoria cited the national squad鈥檚 鈥渘ew energy and enthusiasm.鈥�
鈥淭he team really impressed me with its effort level,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey gave everything. At least one Canadian in every category was strong and competitive. That bodes well for the future.
鈥淭he ones who performed best are just getting started in their careers as high-performance athletes.鈥�
Mark Wallace of Duncan, in elite men鈥檚, and Kendall McLean of Victoria, in junior men鈥檚, represented sa国际传媒 in downhill events.
The elite cross-country mountain bikers return to Queensland next April for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, after starting the season at the sa国际传媒 Cup on Bear Mountain in March.
