Olympic BMX freestyle champion Charlotte Worthington says she is working on new tricks she has never performed before ahead of her title defence in Paris.
With 100 days to go until the opening ceremony, the Team GB cyclist has held back moves which she hopes will lead to a second gold medal, having made history as the .
Worthington will be hoping to return to form in Paris, after finishing seventh at the World Championships in Glasgow, but she will go into the Games with a refreshed mindset.
“There are definitely tricks that I’ve got that I haven’t put into competition,” she told Eurosport’s The Olympians, an original 60-minute documentary giving fans an access-all-areas pass into the lives of 10 elite Olympians. It will be broadcast on Wednesday at 17:45 UK time on Eurosport 1 and discovery+ to mark 100 days to go until the Paris Games.
“I don’t want to reveal any secrets, but there are definitely things that are in the works that I can’t wait to see come to fruition and be able to put them out there on the stage.
“I’ve set my goals differently, instead of going to think ‘I’ve got to win’, of course it’s what I want to do.
“My main goal is to enjoy it and to really have fun, and be able to let go of the result. When you cling on to the result, you’re almost reaching for it and you’re never going to get it.”
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Worthington achieved the ultimate goal of many athletes by winning Olympic gold in Tokyo, but she has spoken openly about how she felt she needed a break from the sport after, to look after her mental health.
“It feels like I’m recovering from a mental injury,” she said, having experienced new found attention after her gold medal.
“It’s awesome, because all I’ve been hearing recently is other athletes going through the same thing, especially people who went to Tokyo and had really big successes. People tend to have the same struggles around the same time.
“It’s really nice to know I’m not alone and that’s given me the courage to speak about it, because it’s something you probably want to hide as an athlete. You don’t want to tell people that you’re not at your best when you go into contests.
“I figured out the why, and the passion and then combined it with how physically hard and intense I know I can train. I know I can put the hard work in, but it’s got to come from the right place.”
Worthington is due to go in qualification for the park competition on Tuesday, July 30 before the final a day later.