On the glory trail

"Because I wasn't training scientifically, I wasn't recovering after the runs properly, so my knee eventually began to hurt badly and I couldn't run anymore. That's why I got into cycling. The moment I tried it, I fell in love with the sport," Bullik revealed in an earlier interview.

"I had practiced running for six years, and I had achieved something. But cycling quickly became my new passion. I remember when I was a kid, I would stand along the highway near my town to watch the cyclists compete, and those memories inspired me to train."

Bullik applied himself to cycling with the same zeal he had approached running in his youth, pushing his limits to win medals at all levels of the sport domestically. His stamina in the saddle attracted the attention of the national cross-country skiing team, which was scouting non-winter sports in search of new talents.

He initially balked at the idea of leaving cycling behind for yet another detour in his meandering athletic career. However, the prospect of competing at Beijing 2022 was simply too good to turn down.