When Candice Lill lines up at the start for Sunday’s always gruelling mountain bike cross-country race, with Olympic medals at stake, she will do so knowing she is in the best shape of her life.
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And that’s no cliche, automatically blurted out in response to a question that might ask her to describe her form.
Lill comes into the Paris Olympics on the back of a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and also back-to-back podium finishes in women’s World Cup cross-country events, in Italy and France.
She is quite unrecognisable from the 20-year-old who competed in her first Olympics, as Candice Neethling in the London Games. Twelve years later she is back for a third Olympics, having also been part of Team SA at Tokyo 2020.
Candice Lill finished 24th in Tokyo
In London she placed 27th and in Tokyo it was 24th. This time though she’s been mentioned in the discussion about medal contenders.
“I back the 2024 Candice over the 2020 version 100 percent. I just know that I’m going a lot quicker. My love for the sport has always been there, but I think it’s just the time that it’s taken to get to where I am today. I now have the confidence, and I back myself, my current self.”
Now 32 she has travelled a long way in every sense on her journey to Paris. She is one of 10 riders aged 30 or older in the 36-strong field and she feels in her case it’s an advantage.
“I absolutely see my age and experience as an advantage compared to Tokyo. I just feel like I’m in a completely different place, mentally, physically due to the experience that I’ve been able to have racing overseas and competing against the best in the world fairly often. I don’t think there’s a particular age where one peaks. I think it might be different for everyone. I think in the women it might be slightly older than the men, but I have never felt as good or been in such a good space.”
Route in demanding
Candice Lill has been reborn as a rider and it’s clear she is now fulfilling her talent and destiny, especially given she was plucked at the age of 20 to represent Team SA on the Olympic stage. She is still reluctant to overhype her medal chances, but it’s undeniable that she and fellow mountain biker Alan Harhherly, who competes in Monday’s cross-country, have realistic chances.
“I guess people think you have the chance of getting a medal, but a lot of people have the chance of getting a medal. So there’s three medals, and there’s more than three medal candidates, for sure. But what I’ve been trying to do is focus more on my process and do everything that I can to execute the best that I can on the day.
“In Tokyo, I was working with a different coach. I had a completely different approach. I was in a different mental space. I was not in the form that I’m in now. I had a lot of stuff to overcome and face. Actually going into the Tokyo Games, I was struggling a lot mentally the technical side of the racing. I was ‘freezing’ and having mental blocks towards obstacles. Since I overcame that I have been a different rider.”
The route is, as expected, demanding, but it is not without its impressive scenery. The races will take place at Élancourt Hill on a 4.4km course that includes twisting gravel paths, a technical rock garden and a challenging climb. After an opening lap of 2.2km, which avoids the one major climb, there will be multiple passes on the main circuit, with 110 metres of elevation gain each time. The highest point of the course offers views in the distance of the Eiffel Tower, which is located about 25km away.
No time for a selfie? Just kidding.
“Whenever I’ve been up there I can see parts of the city, and I can see the Eiffel Tower, and they’ve done a beautiful presentation up there with all the flags. It’s really lovely up there, and quite peaceful. But in terms of actually seeing the city, I haven’t been into Paris. But I look forward to enjoying one more day of riding up there, and then on Sunday, I’m going to have to be suffering and hopefully making the others suffer up there at the top of the course.”
Gary Lemke is reporting live from Paris for the Team SA website for the duration of the Paris Olympics 2024
