Pauline Ferrand-Prevot finally wins Olympic mountain bike gold for France

ELANCOURT, France (AP) — French mountain biker Pauline Ferrand-Prevot finally won the Olympic gold medal that she had been chasing for more than a decade on Sunday, while Haley Batten pounced when misfortune struck two of her biggest rivals to claim silver in the best finish ever for an American rider.

Ferrand-Prevot crossed the finish with her arms raised in triumph, a jubilant crowd of thousands breaking into a serenade for the new champion. She quickly dismounted and lifted her bike high above her head on the gravel finishing straight.

Ferrand-Prevot finished 2 minutes, 57 seconds ahead of Batten, who overtook Rio gold medalist Jenny Rissveds on the final lap. The Swedish rider was third in an emotional comeback after two years away spent working on her mental health.

Loana Lecomte, the other French favorite, was third midway through the race when she hit a stretch known as a rock garden. She went over the handlebars and landed hard amid the boulders in a brutal crash that ended her Olympic dream.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games