‘I want to have it in my hands’: Natalya Diehm eager to control her own destiny at Olympic Qualifier Series decider

Control your own destiny and take on the challenge in front of you.

That’s the theme for Natalya Diehm when she attempts to secure a direct path to her second Olympic Games via the IOC Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Budapest, Hungary this weekend.

Diehm put together a strong performance at the first leg of the OQS in Shanghai back in May, earning a place in the final and finishing ninth.

While Australia should secure a continental quota position based on results from the 2022 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, the top six riders from the OQS are guaranteed a place for Paris, putting the Queenslander in control of her direct qualification pathway.

“For me, I want to have it in my hands. I want to do everything I can to make sure that I'm the one that's going, so to be in the top six obviously is going to be a bonus. If not, then it’s the waiting game,” Diehm said.

“I'm sitting in a pretty good position to potentially place in the top six as an average. That would then secure my spot to Paris. I knew it was going to be a tough final to make (in Shanghai), so to make it to the final was great, and then to place ninth, I’m pretty stoked with.

“So yeah, I feel like any normal person. Definitely nervous, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

The 26-year-old outlined how maintaining a familiar routine plays a role in achieving peak performance, a task made harder given the time zone difference and unfamiliar surrounds of a country the 2020 Olympian has not been to before.

“I try to sleep a lot, especially as we’re going over to Europe. The time zone and everything moves back as well, so try and get on top of jet lag as quickly as possible. Make sure my diet is the same. I like to eat the same things as I do at home, if possible,” Diehm revealed.

“And looking after recovery with physio, doing some movement prep at the gym. And then just work on-bike stuff. Like, all I do is try to aim for being and doing the best that I can and being Natalya Diehm. You know, everyone wants to win, but I’m focused on doing my best, and if I then execute my best, then that will show.

“[The judges] always do a little briefing before the event, at the riders meeting of what they're looking for, and everything they say, it always comes back to the overall performance, the overall one minute, right?

“For me personally, like I think I need to try to get that little of extra height or just work on some personal things for me that I think would help pay off. Everyone’s different, but it always comes back to filling the 60 seconds as best as you can and hoping the judges like it.”

After Budapest, Diehm will head to California and compete in the X Games BMX Park – the first time women have ever participated in the event – before returning to Australia and hopefully gearing up for her second tilt at an Olympics, pending selection.

However, Diehm reiterated the ARA Australian Cycling Team are squarely focused on Budapest for now and looking forward to the challenge ahead of them.

“I think we're all feeling excited and just positive, and it’s probably the feeling that we know that the Olympics are less than 50 days out and everyone’s going to just be supporting each other, no matter what the outcome may be,” she said.

“But we all just focus on one event at a time and we’re all doing the hard work and the prep together, that yeah, we’re all looking forward to going over and just doing our best, supporting each other and I think the vibe is pretty good right now.”

ARA AUSTRALIAN CYCLING TEAM

Men

• Alec Danelutti
• Logan Martin
• Jaie Toohey

Women

• Natalya Diehm
• Sarah Nicki

Olympic Qualifier Series – Budapest schedule

Olympic Qualifier Series – Budapest broadcast

Olympic Qualifier Series standings

Main Image: SWPix.com