Back on her bike, Carr targets Olympic medal for Thailand

[webfact]

Back on her bike, Carr targets Olympic medal for Thailand
CHRIS LINES, AP Sports Writer

Amanda Carr. Image source: Internet

BANGKOK (AP) — Amanda Carr didn't let the disappointment of missing selection for the 2012 Olympics hold her back for long.

She got back on her BMX, changed direction and is now finalizing her packing plans for Rio de Janeiro, and harboring genuine medal ambitions. Just not for the U.S.

Carr will be representing Thailand in Rio, having switched allegiance after missing a spot on the U.S. team for London four years ago. She has already won a gold medal for Thailand at the 2014 Asian Games.

A dual U.S.-Thai citizen from Punta Gorda, Florida, Carr been racing BMX since she was five.

She won her age-group events at the BMX World Championships in 2005 and 2006 but, realizing she would not be quite old enough to be eligible for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she put the sport aside and decided to work toward becoming a student athlete. She won a soccer scholarship to North Carolina State. After a transfer to Florida State she trained in heptathlon.

It was in her dorm room in North Carolina, watching the Beijing Olympics on TV, when she had a sudden realization.

"That's when I saw BMX and thought 'I've raced all those girls before, I can do this,'" she told The Associated Press during a recent visit to Thailand. "From there, that was when the path came back to BMX and to the Olympics."

Carr joined the U.S. national team training program and, with her years of top-level experience and elite fitness standards, she had a strong chance at qualifying for London. Final selection came down to performances at the world championships in Birmingham, England.

"I really did have a fighting shot," Carr recalled. "In the quarterfinals the top four would transfer on to the semifinals. I was top four going into the first turn, and the first person fell. One person lost a little bit of control, and it caused us to domino."

After years of preparation, her London Olympic dream was over because of a collision in which she was blameless.

"It is ruthless, and that's what a lot of us love and hate about it at the same time," Carr said. "Growing up, we just understood that's what the sport entails. You just have to roll with the punches."

It was a mature response, but reflects a sense of perspective that she developed after witnessing the family home burn down in 2007.

"We lost everything in the fire, I lost trophies," Carr said. "We were very lucky to walk away from the fire. I was only 17, so I didn't process it like my parents did because I didn't go through the financial sacrifices of building it. But I have learnt all the material things can be replaced but family things can't be replaced."

So despite the disappointment of missing the 2012 Olympics, she wasn't surprised when the same competition presented her with an alternative direction.

"I saw a gentleman sitting there — the Thai national coach," she said. "Under Thai culture, if you see another Thai you walk up and politely say hello. He looked at me and said 'You're half Thai? You should consider racing for Thailand.'"

Within months, she followed up the offer.

Switching allegiance was a pragmatic decision for Carr. Olympic berths are allocated on the basis of country's ranking points, not those of individuals. Rather than face the intense competition for the spots reserved for the U.S., she had a much easier path and less competition under the Thai flag.

"I have no hard feelings toward the U.S. team," Carr said. "My chances of making the U.S. team for 2016 were still very high, but I knew I would have a better chance of making the Olympics if I competed for Thailand."

It was no flag of convenience, though. Carr has strong connections to Southeast Asia.

He mother Lamoon is from Udon Thani, in northeast Thailand near the Laos border. It was there Lamoon met Amanda's father, Darol, who was stationed at the U.S. Air Force base during the Vietnam War.

Lamoon moved to Florida at age 26 and was 39 when Amanda was born.

Regular visits home with her daughter followed. And Carr, since officially becoming a Thai athlete, now visits two or three times a year and has become fluent in the language. Her affection for the country and its people is more than reciprocated, especially since the Asian Games.

"That was a very cool moment," Carr said. "I won the race, but didn't understand the magnitude of it until I watched my Facebook jump by the thousands, and that's when I thought 'this is a really big deal.'

"Flying back to Thailand, walking through the airport, we came out and there was an orchid arch, and we met the minister for the airport and there was all this media. I was like 'Ok, that was really important for the country.'"

The switch of allegiance to Thailand, she insists, was no snub to the U.S. program or people.

"The U.S. girls, I see them almost more than I see my own family because I'm on the U.S. circuit," Carr said. "Now I show up at a race and it's like 'What's up, what's up, fist bump, let's roll'. Before it was like 'Oh God, I've got to do better than her because that determines funding for the next race.' Now we can just enjoy racing each other."

That camaraderie will be tested in Rio, with the frantic nature of BMX competition creating a very level field.

"Of all the girls at this Olympic Games, there is not one without a chance," Carr said. "Being an extreme sport, anything can happen. I'd love to be in the final, and once I'm in the final, I'll let it all hang and roll with it.

"It's obvious to say 'I'll go for gold,' but the realistic and honest answer for me is to be in the final, enjoy it, and keep Thailand proud."


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-30

[webfact]

DPM Thanasak wishes Amanda Carr success in Olympic Games



BANGKOK, 30 June 2016 (NNT) - Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Tanasak Patimapragorn has welcomed Thai-American BMX cyclist Amanda Carr and congratulated her on qualifying for Rio 2016, the 31st Olympic Games.

On behalf of Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, Gen. Tanasak, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, and other government officials welcomed Carr at the Government House yesterday.

The Deputy Prime Minister told Carr to do her best at Rio 2016, which is scheduled in August. He said if she misses Thai food, she can always visit Thai House, which provides Thai cuisine, sports physiotherapy and psychiatrists, among other services.

The Sports Authority of Thailand came up with the idea to set up a center to assist Thai athletes during competitions. The center was later named ‘Thai House’ and it will be located close to the Olympic village, where athletes will be staying.

Carr is currently ranked 16th globally in BMX cycling. She also won the gold for Thailand in Asian Games 2014 at Incheon, South Korea.


-- NNT 2016-06-30

[macksview]

i for one will be cheering her on.

heptathalon,football,bikes, your of the good stuff amanda.

the bit about saying hello and your thai is a bit unusual.

[skildpadden]

Best of luck to you.

[anotheruser]

Let me guess it's a ladyboy competing in the women's division?

[thai3]

Jumped ship as more chance of getting in the Thai team (not difficult) Hardly a resounding patriot is she?

[SoFarAndNear]

Isnt she the girl who won Gold for Thailand but they had to subtitle her Interviews because she cant speak Thai only Isaan Dialect?

[gomangosteen]

Jumped ship as more chance of getting in the Thai team (not difficult) Hardly a resounding patriot is she?

Good luck to her

Hardly restricted to Thailand. At the 2012 London Olympics, 61 "plastic Britons" in the Great Britain team. 11% of the team. Expect a similar number in Rio.

From The Telegraph: the vast majority are dual nationals who joined the GB ranks only after London was chosen as the 2012 host city seven years ago. The number also includes some competitors who have gained British citizenship through residency, such as Cuban-born triple jumper Yamile Aldama and wrestler Olga Butkevych, who was born in Ukraine but received her UK passport only a couple of months ago.

[ratcatcher]

Isnt she the girl who won Gold for Thailand but they had to subtitle her Interviews because she cant speak Thai only Isaan Dialect?

Based on that comment 75% of Britons would need subtitles for their dialects of the English language.

[Chang_paarp]

Good luck to her, I hope she qualified correctly .

Don't mention Vanessa May.

Bugger I did.

[NongKhaiKid]

A centre to help Thai athletes in Rio has been set and is named ' Thai Centre '.

Unique !

Wonder how long it took a committee to deliberate on that ?

[talayjay]

Good luck to her but lets face it she is about as Thai as a scotch egg...

[The stuttering parrot]

Where does a third of the English cricket team stay when touring South Africa?

With their parents.

Not uncommon in all sport these days.

You go girl?

[arithai12]

Jumped ship as more chance of getting in the Thai team (not difficult) Hardly a resounding patriot is she?

Not just she. Jumping ships, professional and sponsor contracts, drugs a go-go, absurd "sports"... another Olympics.

De Coubertin is long dead.

[thai3]

I hope she comes last, opportunist and nothing to do with wanting to represent Thailand, she's just in it for herself

[SOTIRIOS]

...so it is for the glory then....and financing/endorsements ..... after all....

[cockatoowho]

Does she perform tricks also?

[denkiblue555]

I hope she comes last, opportunist and nothing to do with wanting to represent Thailand, she's just in it for herself

Awww - someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...

As mentioned, this type of behaviour is common in almost every? sport at the top level.

[GarryP]

I hope she comes last, opportunist and nothing to do with wanting to represent Thailand, she's just in it for herself

Awww - someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning...

As mentioned, this type of behaviour is common in almost every? sport at the top level.

Can't help but agree with thai3. Because others do it does not make it right. Countries should not take on these people as representatives either and should be ashamed of themselves for doing so. If she had signed on with Thailand from the get-go then no problems, but only to come here when she failed to make the cut for the US clearly shows where her loyalties (or lack thereof) lie.

[johninbkk71]

Good luck to her but lets face it she is about as Thai as a scotch egg...

Why?

I was a son of immigrants to a country I grew to realise was not my culture or who I was. I carry a passport of that country and my family's. I'm more proud of my family's heritage even though I have never really lived there.

PS: Scotch eggs, nothing to do with Scotch, the Scots or Scotland

The London department store Fortnum & Mason claims to have invented Scotch eggs in 1738, but they may have been inspired by the Mughlai dish nargisi kofta ("Narcissus meatballs"). The earliest printed recipe appears in the 1809 edition of Mrs. Rundell's A New System of Domestic

[talayjay]

Good luck to her but lets face it she is about as Thai as a scotch egg...

Why?

I was a son of immigrants to a country I grew to realise was not my culture or who I was. I carry a passport of that country and my family's. I'm more proud of my family's heritage even though I have never really lived there.

PS: Scotch eggs, nothing to do with Scotch, the Scots or Scotland

The London department store Fortnum & Mason claims to have invented Scotch eggs in 1738, but they may have been inspired by the Mughlai dish nargisi kofta ("Narcissus meatballs"). The earliest printed recipe appears in the 1809 edition of Mrs. Rundell's A New System of Domestic

It still does not change the original point.

p.s. hearty congratulations to you for successfully typing 'scotch eggs' into google search and then copying and pasting. p.p.s Scotch eggs are still not Thai.

[gandalf12]

Good luck to her but lets face it she is about as Thai as a scotch egg...

Scotch Eggs are Thai? Well you learn something every day

[casualbiker]

Jumped ship as more chance of getting in the Thai team (not difficult) Hardly a resounding patriot is she?

considering she is American Thai then I would say yes she is.. she tried the American team now she's trying the Thai team.. lovely!

[nakhonandy]

No idea why everyone is so against this. She is US/Thai and has the right to represent both countries. She has chosen Thailand.

Good for her, she clearly has strong bonds to Thailand. She couldn't go the US route anyhow as she has already represented Thailand at international level.

I hope she does well.

Who knows maybe my son will do the same one day. Up to him which nationality he chooses.

Good luck.

[nakhonandy]

No idea why everyone is so against this. She is US/Thai and has the right to represent both countries. She has chosen Thailand.

Good for her, she clearly has strong bonds to Thailand. She couldn't go the US route anyhow as she has already represented Thailand at international level.

I hope she does well.

Who knows maybe my son will do the same one day. Up to him which nationality he chooses.

Good luck.