Africa-Press – Kenya. Top Kenyan cyclist, Nancy Akinyi Debe, says her sights are firmly trained on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Speaking at an event hosted by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) on Friday, Debe pledged to attain the qualification mark needed for the quadrennial Games.
“My major aim is to do more races so I can get as many points as possible and this will ensure I am there in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games,” Debe said.
The NOCK event brought together a host of athletes who are on scholarships offered by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).
ANOCA is an international organization that unites the 54 National Olympic Committees of Africa.
Also present were members of the NOCK Elite Commission, including nutritionists, sports scientists, and coaches.
In 2018, Debe emerged 12th at the African Continental Championships in Kigali, Rwanda.
She finished 15th in the 2019 edition of the continental showpiece in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Debe placed 24th during the African Games in Rabat, Morocco in 2019 and was 16th at the African Continental Championships in 2021 in Cairo, Egypt.
The African Continental Cycling Championships — launched in 2001 —are a series of annual cycling races held to determine the cream of the continent.
Debe is expected to draw on her vast wealth of experience for a convincing performance in the cross-country mountain bike competition at the 2024 Olympics.
A total of 72 athletes are expected to grace the Paris 2024 mountain bike competition.
Races will be held from July 28-29 at Elancourt Hill — the highest point in the Paris region, which reaches an altitude of 231 metres.
Debe will have to contend with fierce competition from the reigning Olympic champion Jolanda Neff of Switzerland, who topped a Swiss podium sweep that included silver medallist Sina Frei and third-placed Linda Underground.
Other stars in the women’s field include France’s Loana Lecomte, Great Britain’s Evie Richards and Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds – the Rio 2016 gold medallist.
Three-time CXO world champion. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of France is also expected at the event.
Debe, 32, was part of the Kenyan contingent at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games held between July and August in the United Kingdom.
Edited by Tony Mballa
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