Cycling Centre Calgary’s Dahl Crowned National Champion

Professional road cyclist and Canadian Sport Institute Cycling Centre Calgary (CCC) athlete Kristofer Dahl put on an impressive show at 2015 National Track Cycling Championships held at the Mattamy National Cycling Center in Milton, Ontario. The Championships took place from October 7-11, 2015, only one month after Dahl completed the Tour of Alberta.

As a junior cyclist, Dahl competed on the track before shifting his focus to road cycling. He decided to register to this year’s National Track Championships to test himself again and gauge his potential.

Dahl was pleasantly surprised at his success, finishing second in the omnium and first in the one-kilometer time trial. In the omnium, an Olympic event, Dahl was competing against current national team members and 2015 Pan Am Games medallists, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with in both road and track cycling. His results will more than likely get him invited to an upcoming Canadian National Team training camp in November to gain specific track training.

A perfectionist in all areas of life, Dahl also does well outside of cycling. An engineering student at the University of Calgary, Dahl has been successful at balancing his studies with his cycling career. The 23-year-old does not let his efforts end there, ensuring that he remains involved with the CCC program by coaching younger athletes three days per week.

Dahl views this aspect of his life as extremely important, noting, “When I first started with the CCC, I was in the youngest group and I worked my way up. Now that I am a graduate of the program, I have taken that role. It is a great way for me to help give back to the program. Back when I was young, I looked up to the older riders, so being able to do the same thing now for the younger kids is very important to me. I like to be the one to show them what they can do both with racing and with coaching.”

Dahl’s coach, Head Coach of the CCC Philippe Abbott raves about his athlete’s work ethic both in and out of competition, saying, “Kris is a fantastic example to all the young athletes coming up through our program. He proves that you can balance school and training while still being successful in cycling.”

Although it may seem that he has a lot on his plate, Dahl aims to complete his University Degree in the next year or two so that he can fully focus on his cycling career. He emphasizes, “My main focus for road is the pro side. With track there is a very real possibility to compete at the Olympic Games. The end goal is Tokyo 2020.”

Canadian Sport Institute Calgary: @csicalgary
Written by Brittany Schussler: @BSchussler
Photo by Dave Holland: @csicalgaryphoto