Nino Schurter: "I appreciate it all much more now"

There is this iconic commercial by a Turkish inventor who invented a kebab robot. "The device never gets tired. The appliance never falls asleep. The device is always in the store before the boss," says the inventor. These words also apply to Nino Schurter, the 2016 Olympic champion, ten-time world champion and record World Cup winner, but whose career won't last forever.

Nino Schurter, you are the most successful mountain biker and also a medal contender at your fifth Olympic Games. What are the most important pieces of the puzzle for this long-lasting success?

One of the most important things is to find a balance, to always give yourself time to recover after an effort. I've managed that very well in recent years. I managed to plan and organize the whole season in such a way that I always had time to catch my breath in between. Even in training, it's a balancing act to find out how much you want to suffer and how often you should take a break. I've managed this balancing act very well in recent years. I'm very happy that I've been able to have such a long career.

At 38, this balancing act is even more difficult. Where do you notice your age?

I notice it most when I sleep. For example, when I've trained very hard, I don't sleep as well as I used to. Recovery is no longer the same, I have to pay more attention to that. I don't know if I used to neglect this point a bit. In any case, I now know how important good sleep is for recovery. It's the most important thing in old age.

You are now about to take part in your fifth Olympic Games. What emotions are you feeling?

I am extremely happy and grateful. When I think back to Beijing (2008 - the ed.), it feels like it was only a short time ago and now it's already the fifth Games. That's crazy. Each of these participations is associated with memories that I will never forget. Now I'm really looking forward to the fifth Games, also because I still feel great and I still have a chance of winning a medal.

Is this definitely your last Summer Games?

Well, anything else would surprise me. I would be 42 years old in Los Angeles, so I have to be realistic. So yes, I think it will be my last.

And is the current season already the last?

I'm not quite sure yet. At the moment, I'm still having a lot of fun and I can tell that I'm still successful and can compete at the front. The whole setting suits me very well. As long as I'm enjoying it, I want to keep going. I don't know exactly how long that will be.

What emotions do you feel before Paris? Does it feel different than before previous games, knowing that they will probably be the last?

It does feel a bit different than two or three years ago. I appreciate the whole thing much more now. For a while, I kind of reeled a lot of things off, I didn't see the end of my career for a long time. Now I know that I might be doing a lot of things for the last time and that it might be my last Olympic Games. I think that means I can enjoy things more.

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Nino Schurter looks forward to his next Olympic adventure

Image: Keystone

A medal in Paris seems realistic for you, but you are no longer the top favorite. What is your goal going into the Games?

A medal has to be the goal when you go to these games as a Swiss mountain biker. I think I still have that in me - and that I can still compete for victory if everything comes together. The goal is clearly a medal, and if I didn't win one, that would be a bit of a disappointment. But yes, I'm also aware that I'm increasingly reliant on a perfect day for it to work out.

The spring was characterized by a tough internal elimination battle for the only two Olympic starting places. You and Mathias Flückiger were the winners. What does that mean for you?

The Olympics is a very exclusive race, especially for riders from nations like Switzerland. Qualifying is a challenge and bitter for those who don't make it. It was important to get through this phase and not run out of energy. Fortunately, I managed to do that.

The constellation with you and Flückiger is explosive. What is the relationship like two years after the incident in the magic forest in Lenzerheide?

We are certainly not the best of friends and the strongest team together, but we are both grown men and know that we will be representing Switzerland in Paris. Of course we'll try to do our best.

At the end of May, you appeared at a PR event together with Roger Federer. What does a mountain bike legend talk about with a tennis legend?

We mainly talked about our video series that we both recently released - he did his documentary about the last twelve days of his career, I did something similar, but not quite on the same level. (smiles) That was very exciting. They are two different worlds, but we are both athletes. It was the first time we had a bit more time together. Before that, we had only met briefly at the Sports Awards.

Did Federer also have a tip for you before the Olympic Games?

We only spoke briefly about the Games. About the fact that you have to accept that it's not the same there as it usually is, that you have to accept the special circumstances and concentrate on yourself.