There are several claims on Nikita Ducarroz.
She was born in France, and represents Switzerland in the 2020 Olympics – postponed during the pandemic, to be held this summer in Tokyo. But she grew up in Sonoma, and there’s a certain sense of possession of her as “Sonoma’s own” as she heads to Japan in mid-July to fulfill a lifelong dream of making the podium at the globally-recognized event.
Getting on the podium ― a first, second or third placement, and the gold, silver or bronze medal that accompanies it ― is something the 24-year-old has already done, a couple times. Just last month, she won a silver medal in the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) BMX World Championships, behind USA’s Hannah Roberts. It’s the last mile on on the road to Tokyo for competitors in BMX Freestyle Park, as well as in Freestyle Flatland, both men and women’s teams. This year’s Olympics will be the first time that BMX freestyle is a sanctioned medal sport in the Olympics (though BMX racing has been since 2008).
Pressure? If she’s feeling it, it doesn’t show. The Sonoma Index-Tribune spoke to her last week from her training camp in North Carolina.
Congratulations on making the podium in the UCI Worlds. Is that seen as an indicator competition for the Olympics?
Thank you! Getting on a World Championships podium has been a dream of mine, and quite the challenge, so to finally see all the work pay off really meant a lot to me. It was such a crazy event, having it be a qualifier for Tokyo but also the first competition we’ve had in 19 months, so it gave me and everyone else a chance to not only test ourselves, but also see what the rest of the competitors were up to.
Will we see essentially the same people from UCI competing in Tokyo?
Six of the nine women who will be in Tokyo were there, so it was a good indicator of what the competition will be like, though with another few weeks to go I know everyone will be putting in work to bump up the level even more.
How important is it to know a course where you’ll be competing – how much difference is there between them, or are there some “standard” ramps or jumps as well as some unique to that park?
It is extremely important to become familiar with the park we are competing on because every single one is different. There is no standard, no set way of building something, etc. The only real “similarities” we have is knowing what company is building a certain park, which gives us a slight idea of the style they will use.
Regardless of that though, every single park is re-made into a new, unique format, so the lines that we will take change based on that. Being familiar with the park could make or break you.
Are you familiar with the park you’ll be riding in Tokyo? Will you get some practice runs?
We were supposed to have a test event – which we have never had before – in Tokyo on the Olympic course in April. This would have allowed us to really familiarize ourselves with each obstacle, the spacing and speed needed for each ramp, and start to prepare the line we would take. Unfortunately due to COVID that was canceled, so now all we have to work off of is an online layout and some photos.
Practice is so important with this kind of event because it’s not the same course each time, in fact it rarely ever is the same unless we are competing somewhere that hosts a permanent structure, so luckily we will have a few days prior to the event dedicated solely to practice.
I’ve seen on your Instagram that you’ve been weight training. What does it do for your BMX performance?
For me personally, it’s a very important part of my prep. Everything we do requires us to be in shape, quick and agile. So it’s less about getting big, and more about just staying fit and strong to be able to do our tricks, as well as have our body know what to do when we fall so we get less hurt.
A lot of what we do involves explosive movements. I’ve been working a little extra on cardio and upper body strength recently as that is where I saw some faults. It’s also just another fun challenge and something to do during the day!
What have you been told to expect about protocols in Japan?
I haven’t read through everything yet but I know that there is all kinds of tracking apps and social distancing protocols. I believe we will all be wearing masks except when on the ramps. The dining hall and gym spaces have plastic dividers everywhere to keep people apart.
As far as traveling, I don’t think athletes are allowed in the village for as long as usual, and we have to fly out the day after our competition. I will be flying in with the Swiss delegation a few days before my practices start, and then head back to Switzerland right after my event is over. It will be a pretty crazy turnaround!
How did the team choose who accompanies them to Japan, which is limiting visitation?
I’m sure it was a very complicated process! It’s not just my team, but the entire Swiss Olympic Team. For the cycling federation, they are allowed one staff member for every two athletes. I believe that may even have been cut down this time around due to COVID. We aren’t allowed any guests.
I am lucky enough that my coach Daniel Wedemeijer was added to the staff so he can accompany me to the games, as he is a very important part of getting on the podium and supporting me throughout the contest.
Apart from him, the Swiss federation sends different staff members such as mechanics, physical therapists, and doctors to be spread out among all the athletes.
There won’t be much of a physical audience in Tokyo. How might that affect you, given your history of social anxiety?
There could be one spectator or 100,000 and it’s all the same for me when it comes down to competition time. Of course it’s always cool to hear the roar of thousands of people, but I will still have that nervous, thrilled, excited, adrenaline feeling buzzing through me as I prepare to drop it regardless of who is there.
But it’s the Olympics – how do you feel about that?
It feels…crazy. Even with all that we’re doing in preparation, all the paperwork we’ve done with the Olympic letterheads, it still doesn’t seem real. I watch all these other celebrity athletes – like the gymnasts – get announced to the teams and think how cool it is, only to realize I will be alongside them. I’m nervous, excited, so many different emotions, but not sure when it will actually hit me that it’s real!
Email Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.
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