Alise Willoughby has done almost everything in BMX racing except win an Olympic gold medal.
She will have her fourth chance at the Paris Games.
The 33-year-old U.S. racing stalwart was selected Tuesday for the team of five riders — three women and two men — that USA Cycling will send to the Summer Olympics in just over a month. Willoughby will be joined by Felicia Stancil, who is making her second Olympic trip, and newcomer Daleny Vaughn. Kamren Larson and Cameron Wood are the male BMX riders.
“I think for me, I just overcame every challenge I had and ultimately I look at things as opportunities to get better again, which is why I keep doing this,” Willoughby told the Associated Press. “And at this point I’m like, ‘Alright, girls. Go!’ The team, I mean, they’re not even in the same decade as me. It’s crazy. But I’m still holding on.”
Willoughby is doing more than just holding on; she is still at the top of a sport that rarely rewards longevity. She recently won her third world championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on the same track where, seven years ago, she won her first.
However, the Olympics have not been kind to Willoughby over the years.
She probably should have qualified for her BMX racing debut at the 2008 Beijing Games, but was two years shy of the age limit. When she qualified four years later in London, she fell in the semi-finals and did the same three years ago in Tokyo. Her only medal was silver in 2016 in Rio, when she finished behind Mariana Pajon of Colombia.
“With our sport, you could repeat the race 10 times, consecutively, and get different results,” Willoughby said. “There are so many variables. The things that I think about, executing and putting together and winning a medal with it, you know, that opportunity that comes along once every four years is special. Not many people have that.”
Stancil, 29, also knows something about Olympic disappointment. The 2022 world champion qualified for the final in Tokyo, but finished one place short of the medals, in fourth place.
Then there’s Vaughn, the 2022 national champion, whose third-place finish at Worlds secured her spot on the Olympic team.
“Being selected for the Olympic Games is an inexplicable feeling. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was a kid, and the 2024 Games have always been the goal,” said Vaughn. “It feels so good that the hard work paid off.”
Larson will make her Olympic debut after winning the gold medal at the Pan American Games with a national title.
For 22-year-old Wood, being part of the Paris squad is a testament to his resilience. He started riding in Montana, where there are few BMX tracks available, but quickly became one of the best riders in the world. But last year, Wood had to deal with a series of injuries, including a significant shoulder injury that required surgery.
With the chance to compete in the Olympics, he decided to postpone any other potential operations until after Paris.
“There were several challenges and many adversities faced during the qualification process. It is rewarding to have faced these challenges head on, to grow as an athlete and as a person, and to finally earn my place,” said Wood. “It has been a dream of mine for a long time to represent my country at the Olympics and give it my all. I couldn’t be more grateful and appreciative of all the people who have supported my journey and helped me get to this point.”
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