Polish hope Marcisz wants to 'continue momentum in Beijing'

WARSAW -- Polish cross-country skier Izabela Marcisz emphasized that after winning the gold medal at the U-23 World Championship she dreams of achieving success at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

In February the 20-year-old announced herself as the future of Polish cross-country skiing after winning gold at the U-23 World Championship in Vuokatti, Finland. Despite her young age, Marcisz became a leader of the team. Now her main objective is to prove her quality at the Winter Olympics.

"I will try to stabilize my form so that my runs are stable. It's crucial to keep the level. I hope to show my good side in Beijing. A place in the top twenty seems to be achievable. We'll see if it gets better. The most important goal, however, will be the next Olympics. I hope to be a fairly mature, physically stronger, and mentally well-organized athlete by that time", Marcisz said in an interview for Polish media on Tuesday.

The Pole is afraid that the COVID-19 pandemic will make the Olympic preparations much harder and complicated.

"I'm ready to work but the coronavirus can change all plans. This year everything was supposed to be fine, and yet a virus appeared in the national team. I was infected. I don't want a repeat because the disease affected my season and I was recovering for a long time. I couldn't join the group and I couldn't train normally. This difficult time has cost me a lot of energy", the cross-country skier explained.

According to Marcisz, she still needs more experience to achieve success at an event as big as the Olympics.

"I definitely need good advice and hints. Sometimes I made mistakes, I did it last year and this year, but I learned my lessons", the Pole concluded.