Disappointment and reflection after UVic athlete's Olympic mountain biking race

It was set to be one of the great Canadian tales of the 2012 London Summer Olympics with a truly national backstory spanning across the nation from Harvey Station, N.B., to Victoria and Kamloops.Catharine Pendrel, who began her sporting career as a casual athlete in the University of Victoria Triathlon Club before rising dramatically to head into London ranked world No. 1 in women’s mountain biking, faded to ninth place Saturday at the Games after placing a close fourth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.“I felt so strong yesterday [but] today it just didn’t happen,” said the New Brunswick-raised Pendrel, who spent five years in Victoria swimming, running and eventually deciding on mountain biking, before relocating to Kamloops.“You know I’m sorry because I know everyone in B.C. got up at 4:30 [a.m.] to watch me. It’s just what I had in the day and unfortunately this only comes every four years. Maybe in Rio [2016 Summer Olympic Games].”Despite the disappointment in London, the sport did give Pendrel relationships she cherishes.“I met the two most hugely influential people in my life — my husband Keith Wilson and coach Dan Proulx — at UVic and both on the first day of cycling practice,” said Pendrel, ruminating about the intangibles the sport has given her.And her rise from a casual athlete at UVic to two Olympics is quite something of which to be proud.“I surpassed what I thought I could achieve,” she said, prior to racing in London.Emily Batty of Toronto finished 24th Saturday but that simple stat line does not do her justice since she battled to start and finish the Olympic race only four days after fracturing her collarbone during a fall while training.“I'm feeling like my heart is broken,” she said, in a statement.“I’ve trained two years for this day and my coach and fiancée has put every ounce of energy into me. To be dealt the cards that I was given four days ago was definitely a challenge.”The men’s Olympic mountain bike race is Sunday on the last day of the London Games at 5:30 a.m. PDT with UVic mechanical engineering grad Geoff Kabush of Courtenay and Olympic rookie Max Plaxton of Victoria representing Canada.“I’ve crossed the first stage, which was making the Olympic team, and now I focus on having the best race I can,” said Plaxton, a native of Tofino.“It seems like I’ve been in this sport a long time. I will treat it like just another important race.”This is the veteran Kabush’s third Olympics.“I’ve learned a lot from him, partly by getting beat a lot by him in my career,” said Plaxton, the 2006 world Under-23 bronze medallist.Kabush reflected on having been there twice before in the Summer Games of Sydney in 2000, where he placed ninth, and in the Beijing Games of 2008.“The Olympics are a special event in the sporting world and I’ve had special experiences at the Games,” said Kabush, a graduate of G.P. Vanier Secondary in Courtenay.That’s something Oak Bay High-grad Plaxton will now also be able to say.“Max is definitely ready,” said Kabush.“It’s exciting to see him finally come through. It’s come together for him and he’s got the confidence now.”Kabush and Plaxton are the last of the 48 Island athletes to compete in the 2012 London Summer Olympic [email protected]