Overseas races too risky, says Walker
Sarah Walker is leaving her Olympic future in the hands of Cycling New Zealand.
The 2012 London Games BMX silver medallist has revealed she and compatriot Rebecca Petch have both decided not to compete in overseas qualification events due to restrictions and risks around Covid-19.
With one Olympic spot up for grabs, Cycling New Zealand will have to use past results to decide who goes.
Walker told Newstalk ZB the risks weren’t worth it.
“I was trying to find more reasons to go but just could not find enough,” Walker said. “A big motivating factor is enjoyment and I love riding my bike and will going to those races include enjoyment of riding my bike?
“The logistics of travel, the risk of getting stuck, the two weeks in managed isolation — if you make it back on the flight you said you were going to be on — and if you don’t, what are you going to do if you get stuck overseas?”
Selectors face a tough call, with little separating Walker and Petch. The decision can be based only on international results, so an internal race in New Zealand isn’t an option. They last raced at the same international event in February 2020 — both made the semifinals.
“Both of us have been performing on equal footing and it’s hard to decide which one has the upper hand,” Walker said.
“So we could travel and it could continue that trend of actually there’s not a clearcut decision, or it could make the difference between someone is going and someone isn’t. But we’ve got to do what’s best for us as athletes.”
Walker was adamant missing out on the Tokyo Games would not necessarily mean retirement.
She said she wanted to challenge stereotypes around when female athletes should end their sporting careers.
“I think the part where I get to is I’ve always been someone that asks questions or challenges the norm, and so the idea of going, ‘hey, Sarah, you’re 32 now, you’ve been through four Olympic cycles, surely you must be retiring?’ . . . I really don’t like those stereotypes and I challenge them and that thinking.
“I’ve never been one to fit in a box and I want to live my life that way. Just because I’m in my early 30s doesn’t mean I’m done.”
Cycling New Zealand’s selection will be announced in June.