Teen rider amped for youth Olympics

Greg Taipari | 30th July 2010

Sam Shaw can't wait to represent New Zealand at next month's Youth Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old Rotorua Lakes High School student has been spending endless hours on his bike preparing for the event, which is being held in Singapore from August 14 to 26.

It is the first youth Olympics and is the brainchild of the ICO president Jacques Rogge. The concept is to introduce young athletes 15-18 to elite Olympic-style competition - and also provide some educational modules while they are there to help them better understand what it takes to compete and succeed at the Olympics.

Shaw is competing in the cycling, which is divided into four main events; BMX, mountainbiking, road racing and time trials. The team consists of three junior men and one junior woman.

The team's individual placings are combined to decide the team's overall results.

Shaw said he was excited and couldn't wait to compete at the event.

"I had never heard about [the Youth Olympic Games], but Dad got an email about it and was keen for me to have a go at it ... I was pretty excited when I was selected and I can't wait to get over there and compete."

The Year 13 student is competing in the mountainbiking and road race section of the cycling and has been training six days a week for both events.

Shaw's first event is the mountainbiking which is followed the next day by the road race.

"It's awkward having both events so close together because as a mountainbiker you want to go all out and have no fear. But I also have to ensure I don't get injured because I have to ride the next day."

His cycling coach John Lee said Shaw had exceeded his expectations with his training.

"He has performed well above my expectations. I'm confident he can go out there and give us a positive performance."

It will be only the second time Shaw has competed overseas and admits to some nerves about competing in the humidity of Singapore.

"I've asked a lot of people about competing over there, so I am nervous about that but my training has been going well and I'm sure that will get me through it."

Shaw and the team fly out on August 11 to help get them used to the environment. During the event the athletes will get the chance to rub shoulders with and be mentored by Olympic gold medallists Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.

"That's pretty awesome, to know we could meet people like that."

The cycling gets under way on August 17 and goes for two days.