Chrissie Wellington takes a shot
Thursday, 14 August 2008 10:43
Chrissie Wellington is simply an amazing athlete. Racing her first Ironman at Kona last year she ended her first day as the new world champion. Since then, she's gone on to set the Ironman world alight, winning all four of the races she's entered. She also had a staggering second overall (yes, that's over the field) at the recent Alpe d'uez triathlon. But all this success hasn't necessarily been a smooth ride for Wellington. With it has come those who question whether she is racing clean, a source of annoyance for her as she tells us. We caught Chrissie as she was about to get out on her bike for another training ride.
Your win in the Alpe d'Huez triathlon was nothing short of amazing. Do you feel the pressure now of being the marked athlete when you race?
What I'm most happy about is that I'm managing to cope with the additional pressure that I'm experiencing this year. Last year wasn't easy, but being anonymous there was very little external pressure. The only real pressure I felt was that which I put on my own shoulders.
This year I've got so many more obligations with sponsors and media, so the test for me as a pro is how I deal with that. And that's why I'm so happy with how this year is going. I'm working out how I best prepare for races and how I can deal with these additional pressures.
For me the key is to see it as more as an opportunity. Yes, it is pressure and I do have addition attention from the media, but if you worry about it and let it affect you negatively then it's detrimental to your racing. I try to see it as an opportunity, as part of my job, and I think that helps me to cope with it. So I don't feel additional pressure with each win, but obviously this year is totally different than last year.
Do you feel you're getting your head around what's required in Ironman now after your somewhat limited experience last season?
Yes absolutely, it's a steep learning curve for me. I'm still a rookie and baby when it comes to this. I'm learning more about myself, my capabilities and my limits. You know things like nutrition, preparation ... everything. Each and every race you learn, that's how you go as an athlete. And I don't think you ever stop learning and growing and experiencing new things. That's all part of it and even someone like Belinda Granger who's been in the sport for an eternity is still learning about herself each race. So for me, it's all part of a very steep learning curve.
What are you enjoying most about your success right now?
From a personal point of view it's the opportunity to prove myself and to improve, to learn and grow and get stronger with each training session and each race. From a wider point of view, it's an opportunity that I never ever thought I would get in terms of being able inspire and encourage others within the sport and outside it. That really means the world to me. To be in a position to have a platform to effect change in some small way within the triathlon and sporting communities really makes a difference to me and drives me forward. It also gives me a lot of determination I think. I'm certainly going to seize the opportunity while I've got it and not take it for granted and use it to explore the maximum potential.
If we had said to you three or four years ago that you would be a World Champion Ironman, would you have just laughed?
Yes, even if you said it last year because this time last year I hadn't even done an Ironman. When I first turned professional last year I never imagined that I would do an Ironman. So this is as much of a surprise to me as it is to everyone else. And that's why it's so ludicrous that people are saying "She's done it, she's got to be on drugs". It's crazy to suggest because this has never been a huge burning ambition of mine to be a very successful professional triathlete. What does drive me is the opportunity to see how good I can be at whatever I'm doing at the time. And I fell into triathlon and found I was good at it. I'm the type of person to give it 100% and this is where it's got me.
What's your reaction to those comments that any athlete who is doing something special athletically is on drugs?
I think it's human nature, so I try not to let it affect me, I try not to let it frustrate me. I think I've broken some kind of mould, whatever triathlon mould that is, and have put peoples' noses out of joint because some people think that you have to serve your time and I haven't. I understand why people would be suspicious, especially with that's happening with the Olympics with the Russians and what's happening in cycling, it's naturally going to be in the forefront of peoples' minds. But I can look in the mirror and know that I'm clean and that's all that really matters to me. My friends and my family and those who knew me before know how driven and determined I am. That coupled with some talent and a great coach and a great team has made me what I am today. I had a good job before triathlon. I didn't need to do triathlon for the money or the fame. So it's silly to suggest that all my success has come from performance enhancing drugs.
When you climbed Alpe dHuez, did you channel a bit of Lance Armstrong on the climb?
You know that climb is just superb! It was even better this year. There were so many names and slogans painted on the road all the way up (the Tour de France had recently been raced on the mountain). So that really gives you a boost. I'm not going to be as fast as Cadel (Evans), but just seeing all their names and having watched it the week before on TV I think it just gives you that little bit of incentive to push a bit harder. I didn't really know how fast I was doing it but I'm really pleased with my split. That was something I was incredibly happy about. To be able to do a strong run off the back of that was also quite important to me.
Thanks for your time and good luck with the build to Kona.
