It is a very rare an athlete such as Genevieve Jeanson emerges on the Canadian sports scene. At 18-years-old, in a sport dominated by athletes in their late twenties-early thirties, Jeanson has a legitimate shot to win one, perhaps even two medals, at the Olympic Games.

 She'll compete in both the road race and the individual time trial at the Olympic Games. She enters the Games as Canada's top-ranked international rider. Two years ago she burst on the international stage with a bronze at the world junior championships.

 Last year she claimed double gold at the world juniors, a first for a Canadian cyclist. This season she faced the big sharks in women's international cycling. One of her first events was the Tour de Snowy stage race in Australia. Her excellent climbing skills were in evidence and she won the competition. Then in April at a World Cup Belgium, the mecca of international road cycling, Jeanson crossed the finish line first to reaffirm she is the real deal.

 "The victory in Belgium is the most important in my career," said Jeanson, who received a donation from a Hudson, Que., businessman which allowed her to travel to Europe. "It was almost mythical."

 Jeanson started cycling at age 11 and four years later she had made firm pact with herself she would put everything she could into the sport.

 "My parents aren't great athletes, they are intellectuals," said Jeanson, one of the most popular Olympians in Quebec. "But I just loved the sport so much, I wanted to see how far I could go. I want to have the best races of my life at the Olympics."

2000 Games
Sept. 30: Women's individual time trial: Genevieve Jeanson, Lachine, was 15th in final.
Sept. 26: Women's road race: Genevieve Jeanson, Lachine, Que., placed 11th in final.

Photos
Canada's Genevieve Jeanson races
Canada's Clara Hughes and Genevieve Jeanson lead the pack
Canada's Lyne Bessette and Genevieve Jeanson


2000 Games Cycling Coverage
2000 Games Genevieve Jeanson Section