By Di O’Connell
Despite the strong form shown by Kiwi men's downhill mountain bikers on the world stage, the women's sport is in a bit of slump, but that is something Wellington's Sarah Aitken hopes to change.
Aitken, only 18, has won everything in New Zealand – including today’s Wellington leg of the Mountain Bike Cup - and is poised to be the only Kiwi woman in the world cup.
“[I want to] be more gutsy than last year, try to do more runs with the guys and practise over here to get my strength up and just let go of the brakes more,” says Aitken.
“She is tough and determined and talented on her bike and if she really wants to go far in this sport she will” says Mountain Bike New Zealand events manager Chris Mildon.
And with dreams of becoming world champion by 2016, she does want to go far.
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