Nino Schurter is exhausted at the finish of the Olympic race in Tokyo. At his fourth participation in the Olympics, the neck of the most successful mountain biker in history remains bare for the first time, and there is no medal for him at the award ceremony. After bronze in Beijing, silver in London and gold in Rio, only 4th place remains this time. Brutal, ungrateful, bitter.
“On the one hand, yes,” admits Schurter. «On the other hand, I gave it my all. I can’t blame myself. “
Schurter attacked immediately
Indeed: The Bündner shows an active race on the versatile course of Izu. From the beginning he goes on the offensive, after one lap he attacks fully at the start and finish. The route suits him, the conditions are hot and dry and therefore to his taste.
That Schurter believes in gold and wants to use his chance is already clear before the race. And that the great tinkerer has long played through all possible variants as well. So did he plan the early attack from the start? “My plan was to get into the flow quickly so that I could ride up front today.” At first it works out great – but when the eventual winner Tom Pidcock attacks in round 4, the eight-time world champion has happened. Only team-mate Mathias Flückiger, who took silver in the end, can still go there. “I didn’t have enough juice to be able to follow.”
“Never say never”: Will we see Nino Schurter again in Paris in 2024?
In the end, Schurter has to watch, a few meters behind, as the Spaniard David Valero rolls over the finish line in third place. He knows: “I was only a little lacking in bronze.” So little that it has to hurt.
It is therefore not surprising that Schurter leaves a door ajar that many have already thought closed. “Never say never,” he says when asked whether he will be there again at the next Olympic Games. “Maybe the Olympics are not over for me yet, who knows. I need some time now. I want to see how the rest of the season goes. Paris will be in three years … who knows? “
So wasn’t it the Graubünden’s last Olympic race after all? Schurter: “Very likely.” Mountain bike Switzerland shouldn’t have too high hopes for it.