Canadian mountain biker Catharine Pendrel has experienced both ups and downs at the Olympic Games. In her latest blog, Pendrel describes how her ninth-place disappointment at the 2012 London Olympic Games taught her how to find the simple joy of racing on a world-class stage in Rio de Janeiro.
Pendrel, a two-time world champion, was a favourite to win heading into the London games but after a promising front-running start, she tired and ended up placing ninth.
"Preparing for the games in 2012 I let the seriousness of trying to win a medal, and consequently coming up short, steal the joy away from what I was doing. I had to be perfect and anything less wasn't enough. That unforgiving mindset gives you no room to come back from adversity or to value a great performance that may be shy of Gold, Silver or Bronze. It means a solid performance can quickly derail into a poor one," she wrote in her blog.
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"Going into my third Olympic Games in Rio I was determined to remember that performing on the highest stage IS fun! ! It is an opportunity to give your best and see what you can do. I was determined to embrace the magic of the games despite knowing that some people would think I wasn't focused.
"I was determined to put out a race I could ride away from with my head held high even if there was no medal draped around my neck."
In contrast to her performance in London, Pendrel's race in Rio de Janeiro on August 20 was riddled with bad luck. She was caught behind a crash on the opening circuits of the cross-country course and struggled with gearing issues mid-race.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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