Beijing bound? PV grad gears up for 1 more shot at Olympic medal

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By Don Doxsie | Friday, January 25, 2008 1:07 AM CST | () comments

Christine Thorburn, of team Webcor Builders, is all smiles after winning the womens 2004 United States Cycling Federation National Championship Individual Time Trial on Thursday, June 17, 2004 in Moreno Valley, Calif., and earns herself a spot on the USA Olympic Team. (AP Photo/The Press-Enterprise,Stan Lim) **MANDATORY CREDIT** NO SALES. MAGS OUT.

It’s now or never for Dr. Christine Thorburn.

She has decided. This will be her last year of competitive cycling. She also is going to do everything possible to make sure it’s her best year.

The former Pleasant Valley High School athlete, now 38, is taking one more shot at making the United States Olympic cycling team and she cleared one important hurdle this week when she was named to the “long’’ team for the U.S. in road cycling. That doesn’t mean she has made the Olympic team. It means she’s a finalist — one of seven riders competing for three Olympics slots.

To improve her chances she will take a seven-month leave of absence from her rheumatology practice in Palo Alto, Calif. It might be a tad presumptuous, but the hiatus is scheduled to extend through August, when the 2008 Olympiad is held in Beijing, China.

“I came to the realization that I have 30 more years to be a doctor, but only one more year to be a competitive cyclist,” she said.

“It feels like a selfish endeavor, but my patients have been very understanding. They think it’s kind of cool.”

Thorburn will race in international events in New Zealand in February, then compete in World Cup events in Europe in April and May. Then it will be just a matter of waiting for the decision of the USA Cycling selection committee, which must name its Beijing team members by July 1.

“To be honest, I want to do a little more than just participate in the Olympics this time,’’ Thorburn said. “I want to actually medal.’’

She nearly did that four years ago in Athens when she stunned the cycling world by making the U.S. team, then came close to winning the bronze medal in the time trial event.

She was in third place through most of the event, in which riders take turns touring the course alone. The final rider — two-time world champion Karin Thuerig of Switzerland — bumped Thorburn off the medal platform.

“I think that has been what largely has driven me to keep going,” she said.

She said she feels good about her chances of making the team again.

“Ironically, four years later, I’ve gone from being an outsider to being one of the favorites,” she said. “That’s not to say that I’ll definitely be selected, but I feel like I have a better chance this time.”

The seven riders on the long team have an opportunity to land automatic berths on the squad by meeting one of a series of set criteria. Kristin Armstrong of Boise, Idaho, already has guaranteed herself a spot by winning a medal in the World Championships last fall in Stuttgart, Germany. Thorburn, who won a bronze medal in the event in 2006, finished fifth.

Any of other six members of the long team — Thorburn, Mara Abbott, Amber Neben (who was fourth in Stuttgart), Tina Mayolo-Pic, Alison Powers and Kori Seehafer — could cinch an Olympic berth by winning one World Cup event and finishing in the top five in another.

Thorburn is quick to point out that no U.S. woman ever has achieved that feat.

If none of them claim an automatic berth, it will come down to a decision of the coaches and selection committee.

Unlike most of the riders with whom she is competing, Thorburn has other things in her life besides cycling although she has been able to tailor her work schedule to help her train. She sees patients three days a week in her clinic, often working 35-40 hours on those days.

“That frees up the other four days to take care of my training,’’ she said. “I’ve been doing that for about two years now.’’

The schedule doesn’t allow her to do much actual racing, but that will change next month when she heads to New Zealand.

She said after August, she will become a full-time rheumatologist. She can’t see herself hanging around the cycling scene as long as French legend Jeannie Longo, who will turn 50 later this year and still is competing.

“Aside from her, I’m definitely one of the older riders,’’ Thorburn said. “I’m going to retire at the end of this season, at least from international racing. I have another career that I enjoy”

Don Doxsie can be contacted at (563) 383-2280 or ddoxsie@qctimes.com.