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Nino Schurter has eyes set on the Paris 2024 Olympics after fine season - 'Hopefully I'll be there again'
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Published 08/09/2023 at 13:08 GMT+1
Speaking ahead of the bumper UCI Mountain Bike World Series Festival Haute-Savoie, Nino Schurter said he was targeting a place in next year's Olympic Games at Paris 2024. The Swiss star currently leads the World Series elite standings by 10 points from compatriot Lars Forster. Schurter won a record 35th World Cup Mountain Bike race at Val di Sole in Italy in July.
‘Absolutely unstoppable’ - Schurter storms to brilliant Men's elite Cross-country win
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Nino Schurter has his eyes firmly fixed on the next year’s Olympic Games at Paris 2024 after another hugely impressive season.
Schurter secured a record 35th cross-country World Cup victory at Val di Sole in July, finishing 26 seconds ahead of Mathias Fluckiger to mark his sixth win at the Italian venue.
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.
“The Olympic Games next year in Paris is less than a year to go now, and it's a big goal for me,” Schurter told CNN.
“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.”
Schurter’s focus is now on Festival Haute-Savoie, and the Swiss will be aiming to increase his lead at the top of the men’s elite standings after an underwhelming 12th-placed finish at Pal Arinsal last month.
“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.”
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Stream Festival Haute-Savoie – the flagship event of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series – from September 7-17 on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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