BMX rider Niek Kimmann was visibly emotional on Saturday after his return to the World Championships in Copenhagen. The Olympic champion from Tokyo was out of action for a long time due to an inflamed heart muscle and thought about the end of his career.
“I thought I would never ride a competitive race again,” said the 29-year-old Kimmann in an interview with cycling federation UCI. “I’m glad people are cheering me on again when I’m at the start.”
Last summer, shortly before the Olympic Games, Kimmann was diagnosed with an inflamed heart muscle. As a result, he was unable to defend his Olympic title in Paris and had to watch for months.
Kimmann made his return last month at the Dutch National Championships in Barendrecht. The Gelderlander finished seventh. On Saturday he qualified for the final round of the World Championships. He starts in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Kimmann received the green light from the doctors just before the Dutch National Championships to participate in competitions again. “I was given two months. I thought: let’s make the best of it. Even if it had ended today, I would have been happy to participate again.”