Beth Shriever: Crowds will improve Olympic expertise in Paris
Tokyo gold medallist Beth Shriever is hoping for a “complete 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 have 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’s going to alter the entire ambiance and expertise for me,” she advised 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 crew.
“We’re racing all around the world this yr and subsequent yr to get factors to qualify, however we’re in lots higher place than we have been main into Tokyo.
“Confidence is excessive, motivation is excessive.
“Paris goes to be utterly completely different to Tokyo, there’s going to be crowds there, we will truly mingle with different athletes, so I am trying ahead to a complete new Olympic expertise actually.
“I’ll go together with an open thoughts and simply get pleasure from each second, like I did in Tokyo.”
‘I need to be a job mannequin’
Shriever, from Finchingfield in Essex, adopted her success in Tokyo by successful 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 considered it correctly till doing so properly on the (Tokyo) Video games and I am simply taking it in my stride now,” she added.
“I need to be a job 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 positively need to hold that ball rolling and be a job mannequin for everybody, not simply the British BMX group however hopefully around the world as properly.”
