Cycling: Crowd favourite poised for glory

By DAVID LEGGAT

Anthony Mosse vaguely remembers a speech he made at an Auckland school sports function a dozen years ago.

The champion swimmer was recalling his experiences at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 when he won the bronze medal in the 200m butterfly. He had at least one captive member in the audience.

"I remember him describing that opening ceremony," Sarah Ulmer said. "I was in the sixth form and I remember thinking, 'my God, that would be unbelievably cool if I could go to a Games'."

Within a year, the inspiration having burrowed its way into her mind, she was off to the world junior championships in Perth. The notion that there could be a pathway to the top had sunk in.

Two Olympics, two Commonwealth Games, a world record and world championship title later, Ulmer stands poised to do what only two other New Zealand women have done - win an Olympic gold.

Long-jumper Yvette Williams and boardsailor Barbara Kendall know the feeling. Top of the world, Mum. Best of the best.

Back then, the Diocesan School sixth former was just starting to take an interest in cycling. An older friend was in the school cycling team.

"Anything she did I thought was pretty cool. It was something different, so I thought I'd give it a nudge," Ulmer recalled.

"I was definitely a sporty kid. I was sports captain in the seventh form, never exceptional, never excelled at anything but I was okay at some sports and I was a fit kid, and I had a bit of natural talent from dad and grandad."

She began riding on the road before turning her sights to the track and the individual pursuit. That natural talent started to kick in. Once she got serious, titles appeared, first at junior level, then world junior championships in Ecuador, then a bigger stage: silver in the 3000m individual pursuit at the Victoria Commonwealth Games of 1994.

The Atlanta Olympics of 1996 opened her eyes and a gold medal in the 3000m individual pursuit at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur marked her as a champion.

It was always the individual pursuit for her, partly because the only events offered to women on the track when she began were the sprint and the pursuit.

"I did a pretty good pursuit the first time I tried it.

"I like the fact it's an individual event. It's a different sport from road racing. I am totally responsible for everything that happens to me.

"It's not like I can blame a puncture, or tactics, or a gust of wind."

But Ulmer does admit she may not have lasted long if road racing had not been available as another outlet. She has taken time away from the track and road and this has kept up her motivation and enthusiasm.

But it wasn't all plain sailing. There was a time when that motivation disappeared.

With a gold and a silver in the points race from the Commonwealth Games behind her, Ulmer's attention zeroed in on the Sydney Olympics of 2000.

It was an agonising experience. She missed the bronze to Britain's Yvonne McGregor. Fourth. By 0.08s. A quarter of a blink.

Ulmer, whose partner and coach is former national representative Brendan Cameron, admits the idea of jacking it in swam around in her mind - and not just fleetingly either. But the road came to her rescue.

"I was lucky. I had a road team to go to in America soon after the Olympics. It was quite cool. It was a total change of pace and scenery."

If that option had not existed, she questioned whether she'd have even bothered to carry on.

She had decided not to go back to the track the following year, but did end up going to a World Cup event in Mexico, if only half-heartedly, before turning her mind to the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.

Gold in the pursuit, fifth in the points race and 29th on the road added up to a busy programme.

Two World Cup victories this year showed she was on target for Athens, but Melbourne's world championships in May moved the amiable, chatty Ulmer into a different category. She grabbed the world record with a sizzling 3min 30.604s in qualifying, slicing .212s off the old mark.

In Godzone eyes, she moved from contender to favourite. Not many New Zealanders find themselves in that situation.

She'd rather avoid the trappings such glory brings, but accepts it as part of the deal. She is not an attention-seeker and would rather go about her business without having to lug the extra baggage of "world champion" behind her.

"If I had an ideal world, I'd do what I do and no one else apart from those I affect directly would care or have an opinion on it. I know that's not the case, but I'd just do my sport for me.

"[However] I'm a full-time athlete and it's one of the things that goes along with it. It's not something I'd choose - but then I wouldn't choose to ride five hours in the rain or gale-force winds or a really hilly training course either."

Ulmer is 28, and at her peak. So does Athens represent the pinnacle? Her time, her year?

She confesses she's no long-term planner. She's never thought further ahead than the coming year and whatever that entails, but ...

"If I look back and try and analyse it, Athens probably is the culmination of 10 years' riding.

"But I don't look at it that way. I may in a year's time but at the moment it's another competition I've been building up to and focusing on since the end of last year."

The opposition will be tougher than in Melbourne.

Dutch rider Leontien Ziljaard-Van Moorsel, defending Olympic champion, three-times world champion, multi-winner of many big races on the road and track and previous holder of the record Ulmer shattered, will be there and is threatening she won't give up her crown without a fierce fight.

Also in the frame will be Australian Katie Mactier, twice a world championship silver medallist, and a mate of Ulmer's who held a two-second lead over her in the world final only to be hauled back by the relentless New Zealander.

So will useful Russians Elena Tchalykh and Olga Slyusareva, third and fourth respectively in Melbourne.

It won't be easy. But then winning Olympic golds isn't meant to be a stroll in the park. If she pulls it off, there's no doubt Ulmer will be a popular champion, and not just here.

As Mactier succinctly puts it: "She's a class act and a great bird."

Sarah Ulmer

* Born: March 14, 1976, Auckland.

* Educated: Diocesan School, Auckland University.

* First national title: 1992, junior national road race, Stratford.

* First international title: 1994, individual pursuit and points race, world junior champs, Ecuador.

Commonwealth Games

* 1994: Silver individual pursuit, 5th points race.

* 1998: Gold individual pursuit, silver points race.

* 2002: Gold individual pursuit, 5th points race, 29th road race.

* 2004: World championship individual pursuit and world record

Olympic Games

* 1996: Seventh in individual pursuit.

* 2000: 4th in individual pursuit, 8th in points race.


Did you know: Grandfather Ron Ulmer rode for NZ at the Sydney Empire Games in 1938, 6th in the 1000m time trial, 4th in the sprint.