Jenny Rissveds would like to have a new Olympic medal.
Despite the fact that the gold in Rio left such marks.
There is a pride in being an Olympic champion. At the same time, it became for me that I associated it with a lot of mental illness, says the mountain biker.
If you're going to compete in mountain biking at the highest level, you have to be able to take a beating. The scar on Jenny Rissveds' upper lip bears witness to that.
It was another rider who crashed into me in a high-speed party. And then I landed on one of the children's markers that slashed my lip. It was almost like someone had cut me with a knife, says the 30-year-old about the crash in a competition in May.
But I'm not that bothered about it. I think it gives a little character.
Gold shock
The mental blows, on the other hand, have affected her more. Rissveds went from unknown to nationally known when she took an unexpected Olympic gold in Rio 2016, but stopped cycling the following year and was then away for almost two years while fighting depression, eating disorders, and exhaustion.
In the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, it was 14th place, but rather than disappointment, she expressed relief afterwards about "not having to bear that title".
Since I was so open and talked about how I felt, it became that the Olympic gold just became bad. Everyone else interpreted it that way, but it wasn't. It was a part of bad associations, but it was also a lot, a lot of pride in it, says Rissveds.
She reflects all the time on what it means to be an elite athlete. Her team, Team 31, is named after the 31st article of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and has an explicit focus that is more about inspiring young people than chasing results.
Medals not everything
But the competitive moment is still important, says Rissveds ahead of her third Olympic start, on Sunday at Colline d'Élancourt (Élancourtkullen) outside Paris.
I think about medals and results. But I don't let it take over. Then I would be super proud if I manage to take a medal.
Balancing is a key word. Listening to your body, but also understanding that elite sports costs, that it hurts and is fundamentally unhealthy.
What does your body say now?
That it's calm, which is very nice. I feel calm and relaxed. And safe. I don't feel overly confident, but I don't feel like it's a catastrophe either.
You thought it was nice to get rid of the role as Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo. Would you like to take it back now?
I would feel more proud. Directly, like. Right now. And it's a good feeling.
Born: June 6, 1994 (30 years old), in Falun.
Lives: Falun.
Sport: Mountain biking.
Club: Team 31.
International merits (in the Olympic cross-country discipline): Olympic gold 2016, 14th at the 2021 Olympics, U23 World Championship gold 2016, several World Cup wins.
Other: Awarded the Victoria Scholarship 2017.
Current: Makes her third Olympic start on Sunday, in the cross-country discipline.
