The Mountain biking event for both men and women was added into the Olympics program for both men and women for the 1996 Atlanta Games. The sport is contested as a part of the Cycling discipline, and the cross-country format (MTB Cross-Country) is the only discipline conducted for the event.
The cross-country mountain bike races require multiple circuits of a course covering undulating terrain, and require great strength, endurance and skill. The course is comprises a total of four to six kilometers of mostly narrow dirt single-track trails, with steep ascents and descents and rocky sections, which takes the riders between 90–105 minutes to complete.
Mountain Biking at the Paris 2024 Olympics
- Cross-country Men
- Cross-country Women
Notable Performances
- In the women's event, Paola Pezzo of Italy has won the gold medal in two consecutive Olympics, 1996 and 2000. Sabine Spits of Germany has won medals in three consecutive Olympics, a bronze medal in 2004, a gold medal in 2008, and a silver in 2012.
- Among the men, Julien Absalon of France is the only person to have won the gold medal twice, back-to-back in 2004 and 2008.
Trivia
- At the Tokyo 2020 women's mountain bike cross-country event, the first three place-getters were from Switzerland.
Related Pages
- More about Olympic Cycling Events
- There is more information about the sport of Cycling
- See more on the Greatest Cyclist at the Olympics.
- List of Olympic Sports