Bart Swings confidently looks ahead to his favorite song: “Third medal on mass start would be a crowning achievement for past years”

Swings will defend his mass start title in Milan on Saturday, after his gold medal at the Beijing Games four years ago. “The past year was very difficult with that injury (on the knee, ed.). When I think back to where I was six months ago, I did not expect that I would be in shape and pain-free today,” said the 35-year-old from Herent. “That was the goal of the past six months: to be here and compete for a medal.”

Swings would be “very happy” with a third consecutive medal at the Olympic Games. He won silver in 2018 and gold in 2022. “Many champions do not have a single medal to their name. That shows how difficult it is. Everything has to coincide perfectly, you cannot make a single mistake. I have already succeeded twice, which brings a certain pressure.”

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Still, Swings will go all out for first place on Saturday, he said, laughing. He will have to deal with, among others, the very young American Jordan Stolz. “He knows he has a great chance in the sprint. I would be surprised if he started from 900 meters, but he has done it before. A long sprint does not deter him.”

The fact that Swings can rely on his experience can give him an advantage. “It is important to be able to read what will happen in a match. But it remains an Olympic final. They are always special.”