So over the last few weeks every time I
run into someone they want to know why there is no male mountain biker at
the Olympics, so I started saying watch the blog ill try explain it, well it’s
a long story.... If you want a short story we got a spot they didn't fill it
they gave it to the track cycling team. Otherwise read on I will try detail it.
It is every athletes dream to be part of
the Olympics and Commonwealth Games right?!
It’s been my dream since 2004 when I
worked out I could ride a bike reasonably well.
London 2012 was always a long shot but
a possibility, 2014 and 2016 were always my goals, however last year
becoming the fastest elite rider in NZ, I had my sights set on London. Here is
where it gets confusing and epic.
Last year we as male
mountain bikers were told to pretty much forget about the Olympics,
and that we would never get the spot we were after. However there were
always lots people around me and the other riders saying there was a good
chance we would get it if not through our own collection of points through the
UCI points system, we would get it through the Continental Championships (Oceania)
where a spot could also be attained.
The points system worked
like this, the top 3 ranked UCI riders in New Zealand as of the 22nd of May
2011 were the 3 riders locked into getting the nations ranking into the top 24
by May 23rd 2012, this was Myself, Dirk Peters and Mike Northcott, at that time
we were 44th this was probably why we were told to forget it?
2011 I headed
to Europe to chase points and try start moving the ranking for a
possibility of the slim chance of getting the spot. In Europe it is bloody
hard to get points as it is stacked with very good riders all after the same
points for the same reasons. I came home with bugger all points and it was only
myself and Dirk overseas chasing the points at the time and as a result we did
move the ranking but not much.
It did not end here
though as MTBNZ had decided to have UCI rounds in the 2012 NZMTB cups to
continue the pursuit of points before the 23rd of May. We usually
get 3 UCI races in NZ a year been Nationals, Oceania’s and a national cup race
but this year we had 6. Because it is New Zealand and on the other
side of the world only Australian riders headed over to try gain these
valuable points, this was a huge boost in motivation and a very high chance the
dream would come true.
The races cost MTBNZ a
lot of money to hold as they had to fork out money to UCI for the class of the
event, had to pay for the officials, and pay us the prize money that comes with
the class of the event. It also cost us a lot however at the time we all
thought it was worth it as we were going to gain a spot through the points
system. With the 3 of us getting lots of points we shot up to 18th, so we were
well inside the top 24, if we had slipped out the top 24, Australia was
12th at the time so they would qualify 2 spots, but then they would lose 1 of
their spots to us as we hadn't made it in the top 24, and as
the Oceania country without a spot we got their 2nd spot... so 1
each! Get it? Confusing I know.
Anyway a few weeks before
the Oceania's we were well in control of this top 24. Then we were told
even if we qualified this spot we had to be a medal hope or top 16 in the world
to fill it as of the bikenz selection criteria, well none of us were in this
criteria. There was also another clause saying if we were a medal hope in
2016 we could be sent as development, bikenz were not interested in
this for me or the other mtb athletes. We were told the track cycling team or
the bmx would pick up our spot because they had a better chance of a medal than
us. Gob smacked we were all fuming as the biggest track team New Zealand had
ever sent to the Olympics was named, it was the biggest ever because they were
using our Mountain bike spot and a roadie spot had been used also hence why
Hayden Roulston and or Julian Dean missed out?. (As I understand there
were 2 road spots and 1 TT spot 3 in total but they have used Jack Bauer as
both TT and Road so they get the extra to be used on the track there also).
A few weeks down the
track Oceania’s rolled around I wanted to do my best and try get myself out of
the physical and mental hole I was in after nationals. I needed to
try proving myself to get the spot, I was even ready to get on a plane and head
to South Africa the next day to do the world cup but my form wasn't on and we
decided that was also going to be a huge waste of money for me.
So after deciding we had
just wasted a shit load of money and the Olympic dream that could have been was
pretty much over. I wanted to give the bike a rest and get away from it for
awhile, so I went back to my old sport of Xterra, over trained running busted up
my patella tendon pretty bad and was forced off the bike for 2 months… Whilst I
was off the bike MTBNZ started asking my coach Evan where I was at fitness wise
saying there was still a possibility as the spot had to stay with the
sport it was qualified (as you would think anyway). I was well unfit at
the time and was hardly riding, so even if it happened I had been messed around
so much I wouldn't have gone as it would have been silly I had no fitness and
no speed.
As the 23rd of
May rolled around we had slipped to 26th on the points system as
Mikey and myself had stopped racing after being told the reality of the
situation but still qualified a spot through the Continental Championships
(Oceania’s).
In the end bikenz and the
NZOC decided no male mtbiker was going to fill the spot and our qualified spot
was meant to go back into the ballet for other countries to have, and to fill
the 50 mtb spots available. However bikenz and some German's found a loop hole
in the criteria and have been able to keep the spot open and use our mountain
bikers spot as a track cycling spot by saying a track rider will do the
mountain bike race and the track racing, this is to secure an additional athlete
for the track. The Germans have used their extra mountain bike spot as a road
cycling spot. This loop hole was used in the past by NZ at Beijing a
track/roadie was listed as a bmx rider, however as the story goes did not front
up in the bmx race, just raced on the road. Not sure how this works and how it
is fair for completely different bike disciplines to be interchangeable. It’s
like saying there is a spare spot in the rowing let’s get one of the kayakers
to fill it they both float on water don’t they?
In
the latest media release Sam Bewley is riding the XC mountain bike
race. Sam Bewley does come from a mountain bike back ground and is a decent all
round guy talent TRACK and ROAD cyclist (his chosen disciplines) but has not
raced a mountain bike for a long time a definitely not on the world cup circuit
so does not meet any of the requirements point toward us New Zealand mountain
bike athletes (i.e. top 16 at a world cup). In this sense if Sam does race the
mountain bike event it is insulting to us mountain bike athletes who one have
worked hard to qualify the spot in our sporting code and have dedicated our
time to rising within the ranks of the sport. This is not a personal dig at Sam
who is a mate and very good rider, together we have discusses the possibility
that mtbs spot would be given to the track and he did not like the sound of it
for my sake but understood it was a possibility.
From my understanding Sam
is likely not to be racing this event and just race the track in the team
pursuit where they have 5 riders selected for a 4 man race. I would be very
disappointed if he raced in our spot, it would not be right, and this would
have gone against the selection criteria completely.
I understand that Olympic medal’s equal’s more
funding even if it is in track cycling and this is how they get paid it still
does not make the situation any less questionable in terms of what is ethical
(possibly they have found a way that it is legal to do so but should what
mountain bikers have worked for be given to another code)
It is what it is and in
moving forward for me to break this cycle and get support or even to be
looked at from bikenz, I have to understandably be top 16 in the world, so with
the support of Waiariki and the Academy of sport, my family and other great
sponsors we are working hard to make this jump into the top 16 before 2014 and
onto 2016. I am more motivated than ever, already clocking miles for upcoming
races and building for next year’s World cups and European race season. All of
this only makes me hungrier to prove people wrong.
Long read but that's how
the Olympic dream has panned out for me I hold no resentment to the track team
just the situation and how it has worked out for me. But looking forward to the
Olympics and seeing New Zealand come away with not only medals but personal
bests and top performances by all as the reach their dreams.
Some links you might find
interesting
Carl
