Canadian para-cyclist Mel Pemble crowned omnium world champion

Mel Pemble of Victoria won two gold medals and set a world record by becoming omnium champion for the first time in her debut at the world para-cycling track championships.

The 22-year-old broke the world mark in Thursday’s 200m sprint, won the WC3 women’s scratch race on Friday and added third and fourth places in the 500m time trial and individual pursuit of four kilometers this 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, two ahead of Aniek van den Aarssen of the Netherlands and six ahead 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 500m with a time of 40.379 seconds at the Canadian Track Cycling Championships in Milton, Ont.

Also on Sunday, the Canadian contingent wrapped up their performance at the world championships with Kate O’Brien and Alexandre Hayward of Calgary joining Pemble in the mixed team sprint event.

The trio posted a time of 57.311 seconds for 11th place.

O’Brien, the 2020 world champion and Tokyo Paralympic silver medalist, took silver in the women’s C4 500 time trial on Thursday.

Hayward, on day 13 of his velodrome racing career, placed fifth in the men’s C3 individual pursuit on Friday.