Olympic dream almost two decades in the making

Sam Dakin was just six when he first pencilled down his dream of becoming an Olympian.

On Wednesday, that dream became a reality when the 24-year-old Aucklander was selected in the New Zealand track cycling team for next year's Tokyo Games.

One of nine newcomers in the 15-strong team, Dakin said finding out the news a couple of weeks ago meant completing an almost two decade-long pursuit.

"When I was a six-year-old boy I wrote that I want to go to the Olympics.

"Then I sat in a Waikato halls room during my first year of uni and wrote in a book that I was going to be in Tokyo in 2020, and at the end of 2019 I wasn't too confident.

"Then after the season we had, to get named and been in the squad for 2021 is super exciting."

Six riders return from the team that competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with four of those to compete in their third Olympic Games following their debuts at London 2012 - Aaron Gate, Ethan Mitchell, Rushlee Buchanan and Jaime Nielsen.

The team includes Rio medallists Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchell; current points race world champion Corbin Strong, with six former world champions in Gate, Mitchell, Webster, Campbell Stewart, Regan Gough and Jordan Kerby.

Dakin replaced Eddie Dawkins, who retired in April after the Games were postponed, in the men's team sprint and would ride alongside three-time world champions Webster and Mitchell.

After getting a taste of World Cup experience last summer, Dakin said he'd come full circle by replacing Dawkins, who he flatted with when he first moved to Cambridge five years ago.

"It was really sad to see him retire. He's been a big part of my journey and a large mentor to me and a large part of the reason I continued to persevere with sprint and the motivation behind that.

"So it was definitely different without him but there's no question that it opened up a gap for us younger guys to come through.

"There's no hiding that they're big shoes to fill. Those boys together have achieved some pretty illustrious dreams.

"But I think it's time for us to start a new run, and we're the team leading into Tokyo so it's time for us three to come together and do the best we can."

Dakin's selection came with the Games, already postponed from this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, continuing to be clouded in doubt about whether they would go ahead.

But, given what he had seen transpire in recent months, he was confident his selection for his first Olympics wouldn't be in vain.

"Sport is starting to open up in the world and starting to gain some traction again.

"Obviously with the health measures in place, particularly in Europe, we saw the UCI [World Championships] run and we've seen the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta [a Espana] happen. So, in my opinion, it will happen.

"The IOC, NZOC and the Japanese committee are working really hard to put parameters in place to ensure that it's safe when we get there."

The New Zealand team was based around the two pursuit teams, with the men ranked second in the world and the women third.

Of the other endurance riders, Campbell Stewart was ranked third in the omnium and the New Zealand men ranked second in the two-rider Madison, which was added back into the Olympic programme for Tokyo.

In the sprint events, Ellesse Andrews was ranked fifth in the world in the keirin and the men's team sprint ranked eighth.

Rushlee Buchanan was returning for her third Olympic Games and said the extra year of preparation has played to the endurance team's advantage.

"This year has obviously presented many challenges for everyone, but I can confidently say that the women's team is stronger mentally and physically because of it.

"I'm actually more excited now with an extra year because of the support we were given.

"Cycling New Zealand helped us get through the lockdowns and while the postponement of the Olympics was a big change, it was realistic with Covid-19.

"I was able to train at full capacity and so another year was a benefit for me and the team and we have definitely used that extra time wisely."

Cycling New Zealand High Performance Director, Martin Barras, said the team represented a strong mix of experience and exciting young talent.

"The endurance squads have come off an outstanding 2019 season and through to early 2020 with some young talent combining with our established riders.

"Both squads produced world class performances and have used the opportunity with the postponement to 2021 to focus on an extensive strength and conditioning training block.

"The sprint group are in a rebuilding phase and this year has allowed us to bring on some young talent to merge with our proven performers.

"While the world is in some turmoil, our riders have been single-mindedly focussed on making the most of every session for their sights firmly fixed on Tokyo."

Cycling New Zealand said that with no global track cycling events on the international schedule for the next five months, the decision to name the team now was in the best interests of the riders.

Barras said they have included additional reserve riders to cover the risk of injury with such significant lead time to Tokyo next year.

The athletes are:

Women - Endurance:

Bryony Botha - Team Pursuit, Madison (reserve)

Rushlee Buchanan - Team Pursuit, Madison

Holly Edmondston - Team Pursuit, Omnium

Jessie Hodges - Madison, Omnium (reserve), Team Pursuit (reserve)

Kirstie James - Team Pursuit, Sprint (TBC)

Jaime Nielsen - Team Pursuit

Sprint:

Ellesse Andrews - Keirin, Sprint

Men - Endurance:

Aaron Gate - Team Pursuit, Madison (TBC), Omnium (TBC)

Regan Gough - Team Pursuit

Jordan Kerby - Team Pursuit

Campbell Stewart - Team Pursuit, Madison (TBC), Omnium (TBC)

Corbin Strong - Team Pursuit, Madison (TBC), Omnium (TBC)

Sprint:

Sam Dakin - Team Sprint, Keirin

Ethan Mitchell - Team Sprint, Sprint

Sam Webster - Team Sprint, Sprint, Keirin

Callum Saunders (sprint) and Nick Kergozou (endurance) have been selected as travelling reserves.

Jordan Castle, Tom Sexton, Michaela Drummond, Nicole Shields, Emily Shearman and Ally Wollaston have been named as non-travelling reserves with one of the female riders to be selected as a travelling reserve next year.