Cyclist sets her goal to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
New Delhi: Tsunami survivor cyclist Deborah Herold has not seen her parents for the last four years and she is not planning to do so in the next 2-3 years as she feels it will impede in her plans of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Since 2013 she has been based at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here and her only connectionwith her parents has been over phone.
“I intend to continue that way,” stated Deborah, who will turn 22, February 18. “Since 2013, I have not met my parents, I only talk to them over the phone. It will definitely continue that way for the next 2-3 years as I do not want to hamper my preparations for the Tokyo Games,” the cyclist added.
The lithe-looking girl also asserted that her goal is to be the first person from Andaman & Nicobar to participate in the Olympics. “That is my dream and aim in life. If I win a medal that will be even better but first I have to qualify for it (Olympics),” Deborah pointed out.
Deborah arrived on the cycling scene when she won her first track gold at the 2012 Nationals before winning five gold medals in the junior category in the 2013 Track Asian Championship played here.
She rose to limelight when she won four gold medals in the women’s elite section at the 2014 Track Cycling Asia Cup here before another haul of three gold medals in the same edition of the event in 2015. She then won five medals (one gold, one silver and three bronze medals) in Taiwan Cup Track International Classic event in 2015. She also rose to World No.4 in December 2015 in the UCI (International Cycling Union) rankings for individual 500m time trial event.
To qualify for the Olympics is not going to be an easy job but Deborah is confident that she can do it through hard work. “I feel I can do it as I work very hard. Before 2020 Olympics, I want to finish at the podium at the World Championships and that will give a boost for my bid for the Olympics,” asserted.
“I was ranked fourth in the world in 2015 in 500m time trial event. I have slipped a bit since then and I’m currently ranked 11th. But I hope to pick up points from this Asian Track Championships and from the two World Cup events I am taking part after this event,” she added. Only the top in rankings in every discipline of cycling qualify for the Olympics.
PTI
