Annalize Murphy, an Olympic medalist in sailing and three-time national track champion, said she wanted to take the opportunity to race internationally from the Irish Cycling Championships and show what she was capable of.
Murphy, an ambitious athlete who has apparently already reached the pinnacle of one international sport, is now 33 years old. However, if she has enough motivation and enough ability, she could remain in the race to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
She says she hasn’t completely given up on competing in Paris in some capacity, but it would mean joining the team pursuit lineup, which might be a stretch for someone not yet accustomed to the velodrome.
However, as he first showed interest in international racing, During an interview with Sticky Bottle Last year, Murphy doubled down on that, saying he wanted an opportunity from Cycling Ireland.
She also said she draws inspiration from former top pro rider Annemiek van Vleuten, who didn’t race seriously until she was in her 20s. When the Dutch woman retired just before her 41st birthday last September, she was still one of the world’s best road riders.
“I just have to give it a chance,” Murphy told The Irish Times. “Maybe someone in Irish cycling would think, ‘Oh, she’s capable, we want her to try out’, that’s what I’m missing.
“I have no international experience. I went to England to go to an indoor velodrome. I went to have an experience. It’s very different from Sundrive. First of all, turning corners indoors. Sometimes the bike doesn’t get blown away.
“I’m 33 years old, but I’m not that old when it comes to cycling. I hope you give me a chance. I love you. I can’t help but want to be the person I want to be. Maybe it’s the sport… Maybe it’s just pushing yourself to the next level. I think it’s very easy to motivate yourself to train.”
She said her next step is to go to Europe to participate in some international track events. And although it would be difficult for her to get into the Irish Olympic team at this stage, she believed she was best suited for it given the power she could generate.
“Maybe it was too late to let it go. People have been preparing for the Olympics for years…It’s very hard to get your energy back…I’d be happy if I had a chance to try, but I don’t think I’ll get that chance.” I don’t think so.
“I was naive enough to think that maybe I’d really pursue this. Even if I’m not good enough, I can accept that. That’s grand. It’s great that you always get what you want in life. It doesn’t necessarily mean you can.”