Mountain biking: Rhodes Scholar eyes Games

New Rhodes Scholar Rosara Joseph's mountain bike schedule, which she hopes will include next year's Commonwealth Games, won't be affected over the next 12 months.

She is one of three New Zealanders, the others being Nicholas Douglas, a medical student from the University of Otago, and political science and law student Malcolm Birdling from Victoria University who have been awarded scholarships to Oxford University next year.

A Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most sought after awards that acknowledges excellence in sport and educational achievements.

Former recipients include ex-All Blacks Chris Laidlaw and David Kirk.

Joseph studied law at Canterbury University, but now lives and works in Wellington.

She won the national mountain bike cross country championships this year, represented New Zealand at the Oceania Championships in Australia in April and was 16th at the world championships in Italy last month.

She is also on the long list for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and is likely to make the New Zealand mountain biking team.

Joseph will be studying a BSL, equivalent to a Law Masters, starting in October 2006. The scholarship is for about nine months and will not affect her race schedule for the next 12 months, which includes the world championships in Rotorua in August next year.

"I found out last week that I was selected for (a Rhodes Scholarship) and I am absolutely over the moon," she said.

"I still plan to race while I am in Europe, but at the moment my focus is on the upcoming season which promises to be one of the toughest and exciting New Zealand has had for a while."

- NZPA