NATIONAL mountain-bike champion Marc Bassingthwaighte will hold nothing back when he competes in London next week.
While reaching the Olympic stage is in itself a fulfilment of a lifelong dream, making a mark on the competition is his primary target. ‘The Olympics have been my life dream since I was a kid. So I will give it my best shot so that I remember this day for the rest of my life. I will go all out,’ he said. ‘I have trained years to be part of this and just thinking about it makes me want to give it every extra percent I can.’Unlike his more accomplished rivals, Bassingthwaighte does not have a sponsor and has had to dig deep in his pockets in order to take part in competitive races in Europe in preparation for the Olympics.’We as Rock and Rut mountain bike club are very proud to have a mountain biker representing Namibia at the Olympics. The whole Namibian cycling community wishes him all the best at the Olympics,’ said Rock and Rut Mountain Bike Club chairman Ian Grassow .The club raised N$15 000 to aid the rider with some of his basic expenses. ‘Being able to represent ones country at the Olympics is an amazing achievement and one Marc can be proud of forever,’ Grassow added. Bassingthwaighte qualified for the London Games when he claimed silver at the 2011 African Mountain Bike Championships in Stellenbosch, South Africa. ‘It is a huge honour. I remember all the previous Olympic games and have looked up to all the athletes that have been there and know they are super athletes. It feels great to be part of that now,’ said Bassingthwaighte.’The whole cycling community in Namibia support me very well and I am glad to have them backing me.’This year, Bassingthwaighte competed in various international competitions with mixed results. However the two-time African champion tuned-up for the Olympics with a commanding Elite Men’s category victory of the Namibia National Mountain Bike Championships earlier this month. While he was relatively unchallenged during the race, Bassingthwaighte said afterwards that he had been pushing hard to improve his form and go to London in a positive frame of mind. ‘I have never been in such a good form like I currently am. I have really focused to the games and am confident that I carry the best form with me to London. I’m getting more and more nervous. But it still have lots of room to improve,’ he said. ‘I have spent a lot of time racing in South Africa as well as in Europe to expose myself to the high intensity racing that international competition offers. Training has also gone according to plan and the coach is happy with my form.’
