Nikita Ducarroz, the freestyle BMX sensation with French, Swiss and American heritage, is on the brink of a triumphant return to her roots. With Paris set to host the grand spectacle of the Olympic Games this summer, Ducarroz is primed to dazzle audiences once again in her second Olympic appearance.
In her first Olympic appearance, the Tokyo 2020 games saw Ducarroz take home a bronze medal for Team Switzerland in the Women’s Freestyle BMX event. Her second time around, she feels more prepared.
“Many people told me, ‘You really don’t know until you experience it yourself.’ Having that experience will definitely be an advantage,” she said.
Another aspect of the games Ducarroz awaits is spectators. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the atmosphere is different,” recalling the previous Olympics’ COVID-19 precautions.
Ducarroz credits much of her success to Red Bull and her position as a sponsored athlete.
“This whole experience is unreal, she continued. “To get the chance to show the whole world what we can do and open people’s eyes to our sport.”
After her performance in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she’s been approached by people in Switzerland who had no idea about BMX. “It’s really cool to see that we made such an impact, and it was so much bigger than just us,” she told Red Bull in an interview on their site.
For young athletes who also aspire to etch their name into Olympic history, Ducarroz says, “just go for it.”
“It sounds cliché, but it’s true. I just started riding a bike for fun, and little by little, I hit different goals and kept going,” she said. “It wasn’t always easy, but if you keep working at it anything will be possible.”
Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Ducarroz is ready to continue to show the world what she can do and hopes to secure her second medal.
