Cycling: Tony Martin will not fight for another Olympic medal. The 34-year-old German announced this on MDR. While his full focus will be on the ITT World Championships, BDR now has to think about the nomination.
Tony Martin won the silver medal in London 2012
Being there is not everything. This is how you could describe Tony Martin's decision regarding the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Because the 34-year-old time trial specialist will surprisingly not take part. After his manager Jörg Werner examined the 44-kilometer course and found it very difficult, Tony Martin prefers to focus on the World Championships in Switzerland for the coming season. Understandable, because the 46-kilometre-long profile from Aigle to Martigny can only be described as slightly wavy. He thus foregoes the chance to win another medal at the Olympic Games. In 2012 he won silver in the individual time trial. Four years ago he was twelfth.
Tony Martin:
"My plan is that I will skip the Olympics in order to prepare 100 percent for the World Championships, which suit me more."
Does the BDR give away the individual time trial in Tokyo?
Tony Martin's cancellation will make it very difficult for BDR to fight for medals in the time trial at the Tokyo Olympics. It is therefore quite possible that the nomination will focus entirely on the road race. Because: According to the regulations, the two professionals nominated for the individual time trial must also belong to the four-person squad for the mountainous road race. It is therefore possible that the BDR is putting everything on Emanuel Buchmann and Maximilian Schachmann. Their two helpers would then not have to be top time trialists.
It's a shame, but it makes sense that Tony Martin is skipping the 2020 Olympics. It is certainly making the rounds that the track is extremely difficult and does not suit him. I think it's good that he then focuses more on the World Cup and that other athletes can go to Tokyo.
— Adrahil #87 🐐 (@Adrahil89) November 28, 2019