Dolores cyclist Lauren Hall has her sights set on the 2012 Olympics in London, and the year is shaping up to be a busy one as she prepares to begin training and competing Internationally.
Michael thinks I have a shot to make the Olympics on the road team this year, Hall said of her coach Michael Engleman, a Dolores resident, former pro cyclist and developer of the U.S. Womens Cycling Development Program.
She is probably the most talented up-and-coming athlete Ive worked with, and I have worked with a lot of athletes, Engleman said Wednesday.
Hall recently signed a new contract with Team TIBCO. The professional cycling team recently announced the addition of Hall because of her strong sprinting abilities.
To kick off the year, Hall says she will travel to Perth, Australia, after Christmas to begin training there with some World-class athletes.
The athletes she gets to train with and the weather enticed Hall to the Southern Hemisphere.
Im just more motivated to ride when it is warm, she said of Australia, where it is currently summer.
Hall will then travel to San Francisco the first part of February to train.
Following that, Hall will start her international race schedule in March with a race in the Netherlands.
We will know who will be in the Olympics by the end of May, Hall said.
Engleman said he is proud of Hall.
The best athletes have the best head, Engleman said of Hall. She will surprise everyone this year.
But, in the meantime, Hall is preparing for a grueling schedule and had to turn down an invitation to the World Cups in Beijing, China. Hall won a National Championship title in indoor track racing this year and was invited to Beijing for the World Championships. But Engleman said she has a better chance of making the Olympics on a road cycling team and the trip to Beijing would be too much.
We will just focus on the road, Engleman said.
Hall caught up with the Star during a brief stopover. She is going to head to Tucson, Ariz., soon, to train in warmer weather, and will celebrate the holidays with her family in Mississippi before heading to Australia.
The best riders in the world are training there, Engleman said.
You would think that Hall, 32, would be jumping up and down about her prospects this year, but she is remaining calm and collected.
I dont get excited until it happens. I try not to get excited or complacent because you never know, Hall said. Im just focusing on the here and now and staying healthy.
