Nino Schurter: Mr. Invincible

Eight world championships won and a complete Olympic medal set: Anyone who thinks MTB ace Nino Schurter might be slowly retiring is mistaken. This year he wants to defend his Olympic gold in Tokyo and his world championship title in Albstadt.

by Henning Heilmann

Nino glutton for punishment? Even after eight world championship victories in cross-country, Schurter wants to continue to rapidly defend the rainbow colors. He wants to defend his gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Who can stop Nino Schurter in the process? Perhaps only the cancellation of major sporting events in the wake of the corona virus.

Nino Schurter was hungry for victories early on. He won the Swiss championship titles in all junior categories in mountain biking: 2002 in the cadet category, 2004 in the junior category, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 in the espoir category (U23). In 2003 he won the silver medal at the Junior World Championships, and already in 2004 he took the title. As a result, the Swiss Sports Aid Foundation named Schurter Young Athlete of the Year in 2004. A year later, he finished third in the U23 category at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Livigno.

In 2008, Nino won his first Olympic medal at the Summer Games in Beijing: bronze. Absalon and Péraud, the Frenchmen who...