World champion BMX rider Caroline Buchanan is gearing up for Olympic redemption at Rio in 2016, and she's confident teenage Canberra protegee Mikayla Rose is on track to succeed her in years to come.
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Buchanan and Rose will contest the national championships in Brisbane this weekend, Buchanan focused on pushing her pedals towards Olympic gold next year and 14-year-old Rose aiming at her first Australian title.
While Buchanan has her own ambitions, she also supports three riders as part of her Next Gen stable, and all of them - Rose, Paige Harding and Tayla Robertson - will race on Brisbane on Saturday.
Rose, 14, has had to overcome multiple knee dislocations, a knee reconstruction and ankle surgery.
"Mikayla has come along leaps and bounds even in the past year, she's already taller than me as well," Buchanan said.
"She's growing up, has been training at the ACT Academy of Sport. She's had some pretty hefty injuries ... but she's a tough girl and she's back.
"I'm tipping her to win this weekend, she can do it and get that first national title. Everyone's looking out for her."
The Australian Sports Commission released its Sports Tally report this week, detailing Australia's progress and projections ahead of the Rio Olympics.
Buchanan was the gold-medal favourite in London in 2012, but stumbled in the final and broke down in tears as she finished fifth.
Australia has targeted a top-five finish in Rio, but a lot is dependent on athletes such as Buchanan converting their world rankings into Olympic gold.
"If you stick to your process, that overrides any pressure," Buchanan said. "That's the biggest thing I learned from London.
"I thought I was prepared, but I really felt the heat. I let some competitors get in my head ... I come into Rio a lot more prepared and consistent.
"I'd only won one World Cup before London. Now, I've won multiple, won a series and won world titles. I feel like I'm in a different place now."
Buchanan won the first round of the BMX supercross World Cup series in Manchester in April. After Brisbane, the 24-year-old will fly to the Netherlands then the US for consecutive World Cup rounds.
"These next four weeks will be nuts, three countries, two World Cups, nationals and the Oceania series," she said.
"Any race I'm always going for the top step on the podium. I'm feeling good, Brisbane could mix things up because we're on the big eight-metre ramp and it's the only place in Australia with it."
