Olympic Games: Jolanda Neff and Marlen Reusser ruled out of Paris 2024 - ‘Not at a level where I am competitive’
Published 19/07/2024 at 12:24 GMT+1
Switzerland will head to the French capital this summer without two of their biggest stars in the mountain bike and road cycling disciplines. Jolanda Neff and Marlen Reusser have not managed to overcome respiratory and viral issues respectively, with Sina Frei and Elena Hartmann coming in as replacements.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Jolanda Neff and Marlen Reusser have both been ruled out of the Paris Olympics due to ongoing health issues.
Tokyo 2020 mountain bike gold medallist, Neff, has struggled at the UCI Cross-Country World Cup and was forced to miss rounds of the competition in order to compete at the Tour de Suisse road race.
The Swiss rider, who has vocal cord dysfunction which inhibits air from getting to her lungs effectively, admits she is not at the level required to compete in Paris.
Her focus is now on adjusting her breathing technique, and she has only just started riding again for the first time in two months.
She said: “We wanted to leave as much time as possible. Only yesterday I raced my mountain bike for the first time since May. My breathing was a lot better and didn‘t cause issues - huge relief!
“However, by having missed so much training and racing, my shape is not on a level where I am competitive. Not on a national level, let alone on an Olympic level.”
Meanwhile, road cyclist Reusser will also miss the Games after failing to recover in time from a viral infection that has ruled her out of action for the past two months.
Reusser's replacement is Elena Hartmann, who will be competing in the time trial and road race.
A statement by the Swiss Olympic team revealed that Neff had undergone speech therapy in a bid to improve her condition, but the Games have come too soon.
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Neff’s replacement is Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and Specialized Factory Racing's Sina Frei, who will be competing at her second Olympic Games.
The 26-year-old has been in fine form recently after finishing second at the Swiss Cross-Country Championships in Echallens last Sunday.
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