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No matter how hard they pedal, our female mountain bikers will no longer be able to pull off a performance like the one at the 2021 Olympics with the fantastic Swiss podium in Paris in 2024.
Not because Jolanda Neff (30, gold), Sina Frei (25, silver) and Linda Indergand (29, bronze) are not cycling fast enough. But because there are now only two instead of three starting places per country at the Olympic Games.
The new qualifying mode is particularly brutal for Switzerland as a cycling nation. Because in addition to the medal trio from Tokyo, two-time World Cup winner Alessandra Keller (27), Ramona Forchini (28) and other Swiss women belong to the world top.
But 2024 in Paris? A maximum of two can start there. The IOC is reducing the quota per country to have more countries at the start. There is also no extra starting place for Neff as defending champion. Not personally for them and not for Switzerland as a nation.
Neff says: “The starting position is very open. I see a maximum of ten Swiss women who can meet the Swiss Olympic qualification criteria. I think it’s great that qualifying is open to everyone and that no one has been pre-selected.”
It has long been known that only one duo can be selected per country. But the battle for places has now begun. The qualification window begins on May 7 and lasts for one year.
Neff wants to expel the ticket for Paris in a sporting way: “Personally, I only want to go to the Olympics if I am among the top two in the country. I do not want a simplified selection and I am looking forward to the upcoming races.”
Focusing on the World Cup season (opening mid-May in the Czech Republic), Silber-Frei says: “I don’t think two starting places are a good thing. But I don’t waste energy getting angry about it. I want to be at the front of the World Cup this season. If I can do that, my chances at the Olympics are automatically good.”
Keller, for her part, had to witness the Tokyo highlight of her compatriots from home, but is now ranked No. 1 in the world. “Paris is of course one of my big goals. But the Olympics are not everything. There are other successes that are just as important,” says Keller and also questions the sporting value of Paris: “Only two starting places per country is a devaluation, because not all strong drivers will be at the start.”
The new starting position is bad news for the men, especially for the drivers behind star Nino Schurter (36) and Tokyo silver winner Mathias Flückiger (34).
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
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