Talented teen is in elite company
It’s only been six years since Michaela Drummond actually took up cycling, but next week she will be mixing it with the best of the best, at the elite track world championships in Hong Kong.
Drummond, who turns 19 today, is one of the talented up and comers who have been injected into a larger-than-usual New Zealand squad, as they eye the road ahead to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
From Palmerston North but now residing in the Waikato (studying a bachelor of communication), to be close by the Avantidrome training base in Cambridge, Drummond has been included in the endurance team for the event, where she will join her idol Rushlee Buchanan.
The talented teen has had the eyes of the country’s coaches on her for a while, having already carved out a fine pedigree for herself at the junior level, with her best achievement to date being the gold medal in the team pursuit, in world-record time, at the 2015 junior world champs in Kazakhstan.
‘‘It was just amazing, to be able to wear the rainbows [coloured jersey], that’s just something that I’ve thrived for ever since,’’ said Drummond, who then claimed silver in the omnium at last year’s junior worlds.
Having been a dominant force against girls her age, it’s now a case of the enthusiastic go-getter gearing up to tackle those with more experience.
‘‘It’s probably a big step up for me, but I’m really ready for the challenge,’’ she said, adding that the biggest difference she had noticed so far was the need to be proactive in finding solutions.
‘‘Just kind of thinking on your own. [In the junior ranks] you get a lot more support, like everything’s said to you, [whereas] as an elite you’ve got to kind of do things and think about it yourself, which is good. It hasn’t been too bad a transition, I haven’t struggled too much, but it’s just being a little bit more aware and onto things a bit more, because you’re not going to be told every minute.’’
Drummond had got a taste of the level up by riding at elite World Cup events, and gained plenty of confidence out of winning the elite omnium title at last month’s national champs.
‘‘I was quite hesitant going into it, I didn’t have any expectation on myself, so to be able to take that win, I was quite surprised, especially for my first time in the elites,’’ she said of that recent victory.
Formerly a hockey player, it was only when her school started up a cycling team that Drummond, then aged 13, got a passion for the bike.
‘‘It was just for fun, and then when I won my first race I was kind of like ‘Oh this is so cool’, and you get that team and that individual [mix], you get the best of both worlds.‘‘
Since then, Drummond has climbed her way up the ranks. Cycling New Zealand track coach Dayle Cheatley said they had been watching her progress for some time, and has been very impressed.
‘‘Michaela’s got that real fighting spirit, and I always like to target athletes that, when you pin a number on them, they race,’’ he said. ‘‘Professional racers as opposed to professional trainers. And Michaela, I think, has that little bit of x-factor, she’s got that skill in the bunch, but she’s a great asset in that team pursuit.’’
Along with the team pursuit, Drummond - who after the track season will spend time training and racing with United States road team Dallas DNA Pro Cycling - will compete in the omnium and also team up with Sheath in the madison, with that event featuring for women at the world champs for the first time.
‘‘I have pretty high expectations for myself in the TP [team pursuit] and doing my best for the team there,’’ she said of her prospects. ‘‘But overall it’s experience for me and just learning my way around things. So I think as long as I can take a lot in and see how elite world championships are run, I’ll be happy at the end of it. I can only do my best, really.’’