In a thrilling mountain biking competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Haley Batten wins Team USA’s first Olympic silver medal in mountain biking.
As per multiple outlets, the 25-year-old battled through technical challenges to finish just under three minutes behind France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prèvot, who claimed gold.
Mountain biking is known for its unpredictability, with flat tires, broken wheels, and crashes being common.
Batten experienced all these, including a broken wheel during the race. Despite this, she managed to secure her place on the podium.
She expressed her amazement at her performance, saying, "That was incredible. For me, to mentally be able to have a clear mind and be ready to race at my best regardless of challenges before the race and during the race, it was amazing."
This medal marks the third Olympic medal for the USA in women's mountain biking since its debut in 1996 and the first silver. Batten follows Susan DeMattei's bronze in 1996 and Georgia Gould's bronze in 2012.
In addition to Batten’s silver, Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds took bronze, and Japan’s Koki Kano won gold in men’s epee fencing, marking Japan’s first individual gold in Olympic fencing.
