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Lori-Ann Muenzer

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Lori-Ann Muenzer
Personal information
Full nameLori-Ann Muenzer
Born (1966-05-21) May 21, 1966 (age 59)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Team information
DisciplineTrack
RoleRider
Rider typeSprinter
Medal record
Women's track cycling
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Sprint
UCI Track World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2001 Antwerp 500 m time trial
Silver medal – second place 2000 Manchester Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Melbourne Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Antwerp Sprint

Lori-Ann Muenzer (born 21 May 1966) is a retired Canadian track cyclist who competed between 1993 to 2004. As a Track Cycling World Championships competitor during the 2000s, she received three medals in the sprint and one in the time trial. Muenzer won two medals in sprint and one in time trial as a Commonwealth Games competitor. As a time trial competitor in the Olympic Games, she was 13th at the 2000 Summer Olympics and seventh at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Muenzer was a gold medal winning athlete at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the sprint. She is "the first Canadian ... to win an Olympic cycling gold medal."[1] Muenzer was the only Canadian until Kelsey Mitchell received gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She held two Cycling Canada records for over ten years. Outside of sports, Muenzer worked as a legal secretary between the late 1990s to 2020. She received the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award in 2004 and joined the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Early life

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Muenzer was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 21 May 1966.[2] She started riding bicycles during her childhood.[3]

Career

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Muenzer became a cyclist in 1987.[3] Six years later, she turned professional.[4] Muenzer underwent physical therapy after a clavicle fracture during April 1994. Her injury prevented her from competing at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.[5] She stopped racing between 1994 to February 1996 due to tendonitis.[6] Muenzer experienced additional injuries leading up to 2000.[7]

As a Track Cycling World Championships competitor, Muenzer received silver at the 2000 World Championships in the sprint.[8] During the sprint at the 2001 edition, she received bronze.[9] Muentzer competed in the time trial that year and received silver.[10] She received bronze in the sprint during 2004.[11]

Muenzer won bronze at the 1998 Commonwealth Games during the sprint.[12] Her podium finishes at the 2002 Commonwealth Games were "silver in the women's sprint ... [and] bronze in the 500-metre time trial."[13] At the 2000 Summer Olympics, she was 13th in the track time trial.[14] During the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was seventh in the track time trial.[15] Muenzer won gold in that year's women's sprint.[16] She was "the first Canadian ... to win an Olympic cycling gold medal."[17] She remained the only Canadian until Kelsey Mitchell received gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[18]

Muenzer prepared the 2005 World Masters Games as an ambassador.[19] By October 2005, Muenzer had started her motivational speaking career by creating Pure Momentum. She decided to go on a sabbatical that month due to financial issues.[20] She wrote her 2006 biography, One Gear No Breaks, with Karl Wilberg.[21] Muenzer started working in children's cycling with the Lori-Ann Muenzer Program that year.[22][23] She ended her cycling career in October 2006.[24]

During her overall career, Muenzer became the Cycling Canada record holder in the flying 200m and the 500m time trial during 2002.[25] She broke the 500m time trial record during the 2004 Summer Olympics.[26] Her records were surpassed by Monique Sullivan and Kate O’Brien during 2014.[25]

Outside of cycling, Muenzer was working as a legal secretary during the late 1990s.[27] After her 1999 move to Edmonton, Muenzer continued her experience with Field, Atkinson, Petraton.[3][28] After they became Field Law in 2003, she remained with them during the mid-2000s.[29] She continued her legal career leading up to 2020.[30]

Nominations and honours

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Muenzer received the Bobbie Rosenfeld Female Athlete of the Year Award in 2004.[31] She was a presenter at that year's Canadian Country Music Awards.[32] Muenzer was nominated for the 2005 Syl Apps Athlete of the Year Award.[33] She was an Female Athlete of the Year finalist at that year's Canadian Sport Awards.[34]

Muenzer entered the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame during 2005.[35] She was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.[36] She also joined the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame that year.[37]

Personal life

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During her sports career, Muenzer was called Rolling Thunder.[38] She spent six years in Montreal before moving back to Toronto in the mid-1990s. Muenzer dealt with hypoglycemia during her cycling career.[39] She experienced cyclothymia as part of her mental health conditions.[40]

References

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  1. ^ "Canada Wins First Gold". The Los Angeles Times. Times Wire Services. 25 August 2004. p. D10.
  2. ^ "Lori-Ann Muenzer". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Ireland, Joanne (12 August 2004). "Canada's big wheel pedalling for gold". Edmonton Journal. p. H7.
  4. ^ Snyder, Lorraine (24 January 2025). "Lori-Ann Muenzer". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  5. ^ Terry, Ashley (27 May 2008). "Recuperative therapy: no pain, no gain". CBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  6. ^ Laskaris, Sam (7 December 1996). "Cyclist's career is thriving". Etobicoke Guardian. p. 21.
  7. ^ Scanlan, Wayne (25 August 2004). "Long, long road to gold". The Province. p. A55.
  8. ^ "Canadian cyclist takes silver at worlds". The StarPhoenix. 30 October 2000. p. C7.
  9. ^ "Edmonton racer cycles to bronze at worlds". Calgary Herald. 29 September 2001. p. C5.
  10. ^ "Muenzer adds silver to her collection". Edmonton Journal. 30 September 2001. p. D1.
  11. ^ "Russian cyclists defend world titles". The Morning Call. Call wire services. 30 May 2004. p. C8.
  12. ^ Ewing, Lori (20 September 1998). "Gold medal helps answer Dubnicoff's uncertainty". Calgary Herald. p. B6.
  13. ^ Scott, Julie (2 August 2002). "Two medals, and a countdown to Athens". Edmonton Journal. The Canadian Press. p. A1.
  14. ^ "Lori-Ann Muenzer". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Muenzer seventh on velodrome". Red Deer Advocate. Canadian Press, Associated Press. 21 August 2004. p. B8.
  16. ^ Ireland, Joanne (25 August 2004). "Victory is golden for city cyclist". Edmonton Journal. p. A3.
  17. ^ "Canada Wins First Gold". The Los Angeles Times. Times Wire Services. 25 August 2004. p. D10.
  18. ^ Jones, Terry (10 August 2021). "Mitchell's Gold Medal Ride Sparks Memories for Muenzer". Edmonton Journal. p. NP9.
  19. ^ Ireland, Joanne (14 April 2005). "Nattrass wants Masters to get their shots in". Edmonton Journal. p. D2.
  20. ^ Cotter, John (25 October 2005). "No funds, no medals". Niagara Falls Review. The Canadian Press. p. B1.
  21. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (18 May 2006). "'This was no holds barred'". Times Colonist. p. B9.
  22. ^ Korobanik, John (25 October 2005). "No financial support to keep gold medalist in competition". Edmonton Journal. p. A16.
  23. ^ Myles, Stephanie (24 May 2006). "Improving with age". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. p. C5.
  24. ^ "Cyclist Muenzer retires". Red Deer Advocate. Canadian Press. 31 October 2006. p. B5.
  25. ^ a b "Historical Canadian Track Records" (PDF). Cycling Canada. 9 April 2025. p. 1. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  26. ^ "Muenzer sets Canadian cycling record". Star Phoenix. CanWest News Service. 21 August 2004. p. C3.
  27. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (26 July 2008). "Medal waits for Muenzer". Times Colonist. p. D8.
  28. ^ Korobanik, John (14 September 2000). "Lori-Ann Muenzer". Edmonton Journal. p. E8.
  29. ^ MacDonald, Lesley (5 October 2004). "Cyclist's future keeps getting brighter". Edmonton Journal. p. E3.
  30. ^ Lees, Nick (8 June 2020). "Olympic Gold Medallist Providing Career Boosts". Edmonton Journal. p. A2.
  31. ^ "Muenzer top Canadian women". The Windsor Star. The Canadian Press. 28 December 2004. p. D4.
  32. ^ Beaubien, Suzanne (14 September 2004). "Carolyn Dawn Johnson steals show at Canadian Country". The Whitehorse Star. p. 12.
  33. ^ "Kayaker wins top honour". Waterloo Region Record. Record news services. 4 February 2005. p. D2.
  34. ^ "Shewfelt, Muenzer, van Koeverden up for more honours". Red Deer Advocate. Canadian Press. 29 March 2005. p. B6.
  35. ^ Tait, Cam (31 May 2005). "Humble Huskies enter hall". Edmonton Journal. p. D2.
  36. ^ "Lori-Ann Muenzer". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  37. ^ "Lori-Ann Muenzer" (PDF). Cycling Canada. March 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  38. ^ Ireland, Joanne (25 August 2004). "Good as gold". Calgary Herald. p. AA4.
  39. ^ Korobanik, John (14 September 2000). "Putting the pedal to the medal". Edmonton Journal. p. E8.
  40. ^ Lees, Nick (13 May 2019). "Olympic Gold Didn't Glitter". Edmonton Journal. p. A2.
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