“Dad has never been so close to an Olympic ticket”. It was one of the first things Christian Gyldenøhr said after the operation in 2019. A little in jest, but with an ambitious seriousness underneath. A completely normal bike ride on 24 August five years ago, even in a brutal way. With a broken back seven meters down in a ditch, he fought for his life. Finally he called for help. After 7.5 hours on the operating table, he woke up to a completely new weekday, paralyzed from the waist down. With a positive outlook on life and unique courage, the 38-year-old has established himself at the top of the world in handcycling in record time. The tickets for the Paralympics in Paris had already been booked, but a short time ago the counter notification came. – It was a hard blow in the face. The prospects we had pointed to the fact that there was no doubt that I was going to Paris, Gyldenøhr told news. TRAINING: news was allowed to join Gyldenøhr in training in Kristiansand. Due to bad weather, he took the session indoors. Photo: Per-Kåre Sandbakk / news Reacts to unfair rules The Norwegian hope has gold, silver and bronze from the world cup in handcycling this season, and would be among the medal favorites in the Paralympics. So why is he not allowed to participate in the upcoming games? – It was shocking news to receive. It was a big disappointment, says Jason Dyck, national team coach for paracycling in the Norwegian Cycling Association. He says that the decision has been taken by the International Cycling Union (UCI). Briefly explained, the rules for qualification work like this: Each nation accumulates points as a team, even in individual races. The total number of accumulated points determines how many riders can be sent to the Paralympics. Large cycling nations often have 15–20 riders they can send to a World Cup weekend, and can collect around 2,000 points. Norway only has 2–3 riders, and often gets around 100 points. Then it will be impossible for Gyldenøhr to reach the top, even if he were to win the race. – We have been ready for the challenge for a long time, and are taking everyone who can help gain points. But it will be impossible when the system is as it is, says Dyck, who is clear that Gyldenøhr would be a clear medal candidate in Paris. WORLD CLASS: Gyldenøhr is among the very best handcyclists in the world. Photo: PRIVAT – Shouldn’t happen again Norway applied for a “wildcard” and strongly believed that Gyldenøhr would still get a ticket to Paris. “It was a difficult decision to make. Better luck next time”, was the essence of the UCI’s reply. The appeal did not reach either. – Shouldn’t it be in the UCI’s interest to include the best? – That was the argument we used. This is the Paralympics and we should showcase the best athletes. He should have been on the starting line. Everyone who can win a medal should. COACH: Jason Dyck. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB – Is there a risk that the same thing could happen at the Paralympics in Los Angeles in four years? – That is correct. Part of our appeal was based on the fact that the rules should be changed. It’s not fair, and it shouldn’t happen again, says Dyck. The UCI wrote in a reply to news that they received a record number of applications for the five available wildcard places. – We see that many exceptional athletes could not get one of these few available places, they write. The UCI further replies that they had a larger process with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) about the five available places, where they looked at the medal possibilities and other representation from the country, among other things. – The five places went to athletes who were ranked top four in the world rankings for 2024 or even top two in the WC this year, they write. Fighting for his son, Gyldenøhr does not hide that the UCI’s pardon was brutal. Ever since the accident, he has been fighting to get to Paris. – A good deal of work has been put in to get there over several years. Especially in the last year and a half, I have done everything right. I have not prioritized other things higher, apart from my son. When I got the message, everything fell apart. The whole thing has become a bit blurred, he says. CLOSE RELATIONSHIP: Son Lucas got to join dad on the podium. Photo: PRIVATE Now he tries to forget Paris. All focus will be directed towards the WC in Switzerland at the end of September, where he will show who is actually the best. After the accident, it was a great motivation to train for a strong body and good health. But also to show his son Lucas that it never pays to give up, no matter how dark it may look. – When I am in favor of something, I do it one hundred percent. I want to show my son that no matter what challenges we face, we have to fight and work purposefully, says Gyldenøhr and concludes: – The goal is to be the best. For me, there is no middle ground. I’m striving for the absolute biggest, and it’s great that I can do it with Lucas and that he can follow the journey. That is the greatest I can achieve. You can watch the Paralympics on news from 28 August. Published 24/08/2024, at 08.02
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