Former Canadian cycling star Gordon Singleton has died. He was 67 years old.
The Canadian cycling team confirmed Monday that he was suffering from prostate cancer.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of Gordon's passing,” said Matthew Jeffries, CEO of Cycling Canada. “One of Canada’s greatest cycling champions and most generous ambassadors, Gordon was a pioneer who inspired many Canadian athletes who followed in his footsteps.
“His accomplishments on the bike were legendary and are perhaps only surpassed by his continued contributions, involvement and generosity as an active and valued member of the Canadian cycling community over the past 40 years. We will miss him greatly but will never forget him.”
The Niagara Falls, Ont., native was the first Canadian to capture a gold medal at the track cycling world championships in 1982, winning the Keirin.
He also holds three world records, having set them all in the 24-hour period from October 9 to 10 in 1980. They came in the 200-meter flying start, 500 flying start, and 1,000 standing start months after being named to Team Canada for The 1980 Olympics before Canada joined the US-led boycott of the Moscow Games that year.
Singleton also competed in the 1976 Olympics, finishing ninth in the 1,000 meters. He went on to win gold in both the sprint and 1,000 time trial at the 1979 Pan American Games.
Singleton, who was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1986, was also a gold medalist in the sprint and a bronze medalist in the 1,000 time trial at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.
“With the passing of Gordon Singleton, Canada and the sport of cycling have lost a true giant,” added Mark Collins, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Cycling Association. “Seeing him fly around the track was exciting at a time when cycling was forming in Canada; Gordon will truly be missed.
“An Olympian, a world champion, a world record holder, he was a pioneer whose shoulders our team will forever stand when we don the maple leaf jersey and travel to Canada.”
