All the emotions came out at once. She fell into the arms of her family, coaches and friends, crying, right after the finish jump. “We worked so hard for it for so long. The moment you realise that you have succeeded is very special, especially at my age of course”, Van Drunen rejoiced the morning after winning the historic title.
Special achievement
As the youngest world champion ever, she has presented something unique. There has never been a world champion as young as Van Drunen among the men. “I have not yet been able to respond to all the congratulations,” she admits, while she prepares for the return trip to the Netherlands from her Turkish hotel room.
The Sliedrechtse started the final weekend with a lead of seventeen points, in which she had to acknowledge her superior in competitor Daniela Guillen but won the title with a safe margin. On the circuit of Afyonkarahisar, a fifth place was more than enough.
Cruisemodus
“I was quite happy with the lead and didn’t have too much stress. When I got behind the fence on Sunday, I got a bit nervous. But when I was in fifth place, I went into cruise mode to finish the race safely,” she says of her final race. “The last lap was enjoyable, although I had to be careful not to get stuck.”
The ambitious Yamaha rider will compete in the Mini O’s in November, one of the most famous cross races in the United States. After a few weeks of rest, her sights will be set on 2025, when she will once again attempt the WMX title. “One world title is nice, but a second or third is much nicer.”
RTV Dordrecht called Van Drunen about her last race and went in search of proud fellow Sliedrecht residents:
