Zach Bell reflects on what it was like competing at first Olympic Games

At his first Olympic Games, Yukoner Zach Bell didn't disappoint.

At his first Olympic Games, Yukoner Zach Bell didn’t disappoint.

At the Beijing Games, the 25-year-old track cyclist placed seventh in the points race and following that up with a 12th place showing in the madison event.

The points race featured 160 laps and a 25-man sprint every 10 laps. A combination of speed and discipline earned Bell the seventh place finish. He finished with 27 points in total. The top cyclist in the race finished with 60 points.

The second race was the Madison, which was held on Aug. 19. For the Madison, Bell teamed up with fellow canuck Martin Gilbert. The team got off to a great start, winning the fourth of 10 sprints, but ended up dropping to 12th by the conclusion of the race.

Last week, Bell talked to the Star about competing at his first Olympic Games.

What was it like competing at your first Olympics?

“It was a different experience than I expected…it was a similar kind of race, nothing to unexpected.  I was in a better state of mind than I thought I would be, more calm and relaxed.

It has been a unique experience that has provided me with a lot of confidence moving forward.“

Are you happy with finishing seventh in the points race with 27 in total?

“I am happy with the result I set out with a top eight in mind as a real and achievable goal…You always want more, but whether I deserved more at this point in my carrier is debatable.

But it is a very solid ride in a first Olympics and it has gone a long way to letting me see what work needs to be done to take the next little step.“

Do you feel it was one of your better races in the sport?

“It is my best result to date and the most mature I have raced ever I think.“

You got off to a quick start in the Madison, can you describe how the race went after the fifth sprint?

“This was a totally different story to the points race..as a team we raced with a lot of immaturity early on and we paid for it later…I knew in the race it was going to happen or was likely to blow up in our faces, but it is a team event and you don’t want to waste the efforts of your teammate either.

If it went our way we could have had a medal I suppose, but the logical part of me knew it was not likely to happen that way.“

Did you do anything differently in your two races because it was the Olympics?

“No not really, I just tried to make sure I raced the right way…I did for one and not the other.“

Where do the two finishes rank in your list of accomplishments in the sport?

“Well seventh in the Olympics is the best finish I have had…so I would say it is right up there. I tend not to ‘rank’ my finishes though…each one is different and I view them that way.“

Did you take a lot of pride being one of two Yukoners at the Games?

“Absolutely I did…I can’t wait to come home at the end of September, when my season is over and thank, and share the experiences I have had because of the support from up there.“

What are some of your future plans?

“At this point it is unknown…I need to continue to race and be supported…it is ironic that after my biggest and best results I find myself unemployed as the team I ride for no longer has the capacity to pay salaries.  I will continue to ride for some team but that may not materialize until next year.  Right now I will race a few more races leading in to September.

Then I plan to come back to the Yukon and do a canoe trip…and speak in the schools if we can arrange it. Now through November is also a big time for sponsorship and I am going to be working hard on finding sponsors to help fund my next few months especially. Subway Whitehorse has come on to help which is great and I look forward to thanking them personally when I am home.“

Do you have any other goals as a track cyclist?

“Medal in London.“ (2012 Olympics)

Is there anything you would like to add?

“Thanks to everyone from up there at Sport Yukon and in the city and communities that have offered support.  Both finically and otherwise.  It certainly feel like that support made competing at this level easier.“