When mountain biking is played at the Summer Olympics in Paris next month, the United States has a real chance of winning gold.
Why this matters: With two women and two men competing, this is the first time the United States has fielded a complete mountain biking team since the sport’s introduction at the 1996 Olympic Games.
Both categories had to be ranked in the top eight worldwide to be eligible to send two competitors. Overall, the United States ranks sixth for men and third for women.
To be eligible to send two competitors, both teams had to be ranked in the top eight worldwide. Overall, American women rank third, and males rank fifth.
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Current situation: The teams were revealed in Bentonville on Tuesday by Brendan Quirk, an Arkansas native who serves as president and CEO of USA Cycling, the organization that oversees bicycle racing in the country.
In summary, the U.S. national mountain biking team is based in Bentonville, which is
One of the team coaches, Anneke Beerten, resides here as well.
Creating the news: The team’s majority is practicing and competing in Europe. They are as follows:
Women: Savilia Blunk, 25, of Inverness, California, and Haley Batten, 25, of Park City, Utah.
Men’s: Durango, Colorado residents Riley Amos, 22, and Christopher Blevins, 26.
Context: Elancourt Hill, the three-mile Olympic course, is located around one hour from Paris. During the competition, the athletes will complete five to seven laps of the route, which increases in elevation by roughly 330 feet.
the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.” Its athletes compete at Centennial Park in Fayetteville and sometimes train on the 250 miles of off-road trails in NWA.
What they’re saying: Quirk stated, “Our coaching staff was reflecting on it no place in America is better to prepare those athletes for that kind of terrain than Bentonville,” noting that while climbs in other places are longer, punch climbs are shorter in Bentonville.
“The rocks, the roots … just technical demand. That’s what our athletes prepare for here.”
What’s next: USA Cycling has updates on the teams, and a watch party in Bentonville is being organized; the exact venue is yet to be announced.
The women will compete on Sunday, July 28, at 7:10 a.m. CDT.
Monday, July 29, at the same time, is the men’s race.
