Para-cycling world champion Flurina Rigling tells us about an emotional 2024

For Flurina Rigling, 2024 was a year brimming with emotions. First she had to qualify for the Paralympics – no small feat. The next challenge she faced was that different categories were grouped together, which made it hard for her to gauge her chances. Given these circumstances, the fact that Flurina won a silver and a bronze medal was a tremendous personal achievement for the para-cyclist. But for the Zurich native, nothing topped the honor of being Switzerland's flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

At the World Cycling Championships in Zurich, Flurina Rigling went through a rollercoaster of emotions: After the euphoria of the first gold medal, the fatal accident of her teammate Muriel Furrer came as a devastating shock, leaving her deeply shaken. "It was important for me to give myself some space to process the loss. That's why I took part in the Memorial Ride – it helped me heal." Nevertheless, Flurina Rigling found the strength – indeed, she needed – to concentrate on her own race once again. She was overjoyed when she clinched her second World Championship title, right there in her home canton. "I was overwhelmed with emotion as I climbed onto the podium in front of the Opera House to receive my gold medals."

Currently, the para-athlete is enjoying the freedom she has in the off-season to cycle without a strict training schedule, simply riding for pleasure. Meanwhile, she's also working to complete her studies in political science. Equal opportunity in sports is a key focus for Flurina – both for para-sports and women's cycling: "This year opened up real possibilities for progress." She points to one example: At the World Cycling Championships, the para-athletes' course was identical to the elite course. "This made the performance of the para-athletes more tangible for spectators."

Now Flurina Rigling hopes that the heightened public profile of para-sports will endure: "That's something I'll continue to fight for." Looking ahead, she can see a career bridging sport and politics, perhaps with a sports federation. But for now, Flurina still has many athletic goals: "I would love to compete at the Paralympics again four years from now."