Nino Schurter has eyes set on the Paris 2024 Olympics after fine season – ‘Hopefully I’ll be there again’

Nino Schurter has his eyes firmly fixed on the next year’s Olympic Games at Paris 2024 after another hugely impressive season.

The 2016 Olympic champion will compete at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie this weekend, tackling the short-track (Friday) and cross-country Olympic race (Sunday). .

The 37-year-old currently leads the way in the World Series standings, and has no plans to wind down his glittering career just yet with the Olympic Games looming large in the not-too-distant future.

“For a long time, I wasn’t sure if it’s still going to be a target for me, but after being so successful this year and winning another two World Cups, I want to give it a try.

“I want to go to my fifth Olympic Games and hopefully battle for another Olympic medal. The Olympic Games is something so special.

“It’s beautiful if you can go there and experience the atmosphere. If you can battle for medals, it’s something really cool. Hopefully I’ll be there again.”

The Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team rider spoke in more detail about his victory at Val di Sole, and reflected on an incredibly poignant day in his career.

“That was one of my most beautiful achievements in sport,” he added. “I think I’m now the oldest rider in the field, so to still be able to win a World Cup and doing that back home, reaching a new record, was so emotional.

“Even the people, the spectators, were so nice. Everybody was so emotional and so happy for me to win this record back home. It’s a moment I will never forget, and even now, when I think about it, it gives me goosebumps.”

“I’m currently the leader, but it’s really tight,” Schurter said. “Last week I had a bit of bad luck; I had a flat tyre and didn’t have my best day.

“The short-track race is on Friday, and that decides the start position for Sunday. It’s going to be important to have a good race and get a good starting position.

“Hopefully I can battle for a podium place to keep the leader’s jersey, going into the last two rounds in the US and Canada.”