The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are in full swing – today Emma White has finished competing in the Team Pursuit! Tune into NBC channels to view today’s events or set your DVR/TiVo to record upcoming events. Check out the complete broadcasting schedule here, and an Olympic Channel guide here.
This is the last installment in our series on Olympian Emma White, a Track Cyclist who has participated in the Team Pursuit event. Below you can find some of her interview questions – this time focusing on her experiences in the sport, the Olympics, and personal questions.
Q: What is your favorite family vacation?
A: We always went up to Garnet Hill up north in north river New York near the Adirondacks. We would go rent a cabin right on the creek, and I love doing that. We would bring mountain bikes with us too – that was the greatest vacation.
Q: Outside of the Olympics, do you have any other plans or things you would like to see while in Tokyo?
A: Unfortunately, we will not be able to do anything because of restrictions. The event spans two days, so there is a pretty quick turnaround. There will not be any closing ceremony or watching of any other events. If it was a typical year, I would have a whole list of things I wanted to do.
Q: So really, pandemic wise, Tokyo still has some pretty firm rules – come in, compete, and go home?
A: Yeah. I think the other option was cancelling it. I think the Tokyo public was very against the event, so they had to create with pretty big restrictions. The consequences are pretty harsh, like we can get deported if we leave our hotel room. I think they take it a lot more seriously, even if the US and Japan are comparable case-wise, what is good for us is still very serious and a “red zone” for them.
Q: What glimpse of wisdom can you offer to young women entering the sport?
A: I think that it’s a pretty cliché answer, but it’s really important to have fun with it. I think finding friends or family to go on bike rides with, first of all, is a lot safer on the road. It’s also more fun just to keep it relaxed. Once it becomes work it’s not as rewarding – you won’t want to wake up and go do it. The longer you can prevent feeling that way, the more fun and also more successful you’ll be.
Q: If you could give a message to your supporters, professors, family, and fans that will be watching you, what would you say?
A: Really just: thank you. Thank you for supporting me in this dream. I’ve sacrificed a lot – I’ve sacrificed friends’ celebrations, weddings, and my family reunions. It’s not easy, but I really appreciate all of the support and all my professors, and also to the drivers on the road. These are my home roads and I train on them, and thank you for making it a safe environment for me because it’s not always a safe feeling, but I always feel safe at home.
Emma White has competed in the Team Pursuit Round 1 and Finals! Team USA received the Bronze medal, and they came in at a time of 4:08.040. This is around 2 seconds faster than the previous world record set by Great Britain in Rio’s 2016 Olympics. In the finals, Germany and Great Britain took home the Gold and Silver medal, respectively. View the official results page here for all reported Team Pursuit times.
Thank you for following us throughout this series about Capital Region’s own Emma White! We are very proud of the entire Team USA, and especially White. They did a phenomenal job, and we are honored to interview such an accomplished cyclist. We hope that you all continue to watch the Olympics and cheer on Team USA as other sporting events are broadcasted.
Not caught up? Read our previous post on Emma White here.
For post-race interviews, and more photos of the Team Pursuit event, view USA Cycling’s article here.