Beth Shriever: Crowds will improve Olympic expertise in Paris
2 min read
Tokyo gold medallist Beth Shriever is hoping for a “entire new Olympic expertise” when she defends her BMX title in Paris subsequent yr.
Shriever beat Colombia’s Mariana Pajon by 0.090 seconds within the ladies’s ultimate in 2021, however crowd sizes had been strictly restricted in Japan due to Covid.
She additionally received gold at a BMX World Cup occasion within the Netherlands final month.
“Having a crowd there may be going to alter the entire environment and expertise for me,” she informed BBC Essex.
The Video games begins on 26 July subsequent yr and Shriever – who was awarded an MBE in 2022 – nonetheless has to earn her place within the GB staff.
“We’re racing all around the world this yr and subsequent yr to get factors to qualify, however we’re in quite a bit higher place than we had been main into Tokyo.
“Confidence is excessive, motivation is excessive.
“Paris goes to be utterly totally different to Tokyo, there’s going to be crowds there, we are able to really mingle with different athletes, so I am trying ahead to a complete new Olympic expertise actually.
“I will go together with an open thoughts and simply take pleasure in each second, like I did in Tokyo.”
‘I wish to be a task mannequin’
Shriever, from Finchingfield in Essex, adopted her success in Tokyo by profitable the BMX World Championships title in Arnhem in August 2021.
Her subsequent main project is August’s UCI Biking World Championships in Glasgow in August.
However aside from the aggressive aspect of the game, she can be energetic in encouraging ladies to take it up.
“I by no means actually thought of it correctly till doing so properly on the (Tokyo) Video games and I am simply taking it in my stride now,” she added.
“I wish to be a task mannequin for these younger ladies. I really feel like I by no means actually had that once I was simply beginning in my profession.
“I will at all times have time for individuals, I will at all times give recommendation or put an arm spherical somebody to cheer them up. I undoubtedly wish to preserve that ball rolling and be a task mannequin for everybody, not simply the British BMX neighborhood however hopefully around the world as properly.”
