Sports

Looser hoping for a better Olympic turn

  • April 8, 2021

• By Michael Uugwanga

AFTER failing to finish the race at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, Namibia’s top female cyclist, Vera Looser is hoping for a better result at this year’s rescheduled Olympic Games that will be held in Japan from July 23 to August 8.

Looser is a road cyclist and mountain biker who has also represented the country at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games.

She won the Namibian National Time Trial Championships on six occasions, and the Namibian National Road Race Championships on nine occasions, including eight years consecutively between 2014 and 2021.

Looser is currently based in Switzerland and has already started her own campaign to raise fund towards her preparations to the Tokyo Games.

Speaking to Confidente Sport from Switzerland, Looser said her 2016 stint at the Olympic Games was a disaster for her and that she has put behind the Rio disappointment.

“I competed at the Rio Olympics and I didn’t finish the race, because I was outside the time limit.

I hope this time I can achieve a better result,” she said.

“I started my own campaign a few months ago to enable myself a perfect preparation to the Olympic Games. I have a lot of expenses at hand (cycling related) and I cannot manage with the little finances I have anymore. I really want to give my best in my preparations, but without some financial support, it is not possible.

I am currently in the training camp and going to different races before the Olympic Games.”

The 27-year-old will soon be racing in Belgium and France as part of her preparations to the Games.

Looser also told Confidente Sport that she is ready to take the Covid-19 vaccine if required so by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a prevention measure.

“In April I have two important races on my calendar, one in Belgium and one in France. I am not sure yet how to get a vaccine here in Switzerland.

At the moment only the elderly are getting vaccines. But I guess by the time it’s summer we will also be able to get the vaccine. It is important to get as many people as possible vaccinated so that we can stop the pandemic and that normal life can resume.

“My target is to race a strong race so that I will be satisfied afterwards and I would love to make my country proud,” said Looser.