French cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, 32, clinched the gold medal in the women’s cross-country mountain bike event at the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 28, fulfilling a decade-long dream. Ferrand-Prévot dominated the race from the second lap, finishing with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 2 seconds, an impressive 2 minutes and 57 seconds ahead of silver medalist Haley Batten from the United States.This victory marks a significant milestone for Ferrand-Prévot, who had previously faced disappointments in her Olympic career. She finished 26th at the London Olympics, abandoned the race in Rio, and placed 10th in Tokyo. Her win at the Élancourt hill in Île-de-France adds to her already impressive palmarès, which includes five World Championships in individual events.”I have a hard time believing it, I’ve worked so hard for this day,” Ferrand-Prévot said after the race. “I was like a robot today! I’m super happy but I don’t know what to say, it’s enormous”.However, the event was marred by misfortune for another French favorite, Loana Lecomte. The 24-year-old cyclist suffered a severe crash during the fourth stage of the race while fighting for third place. Lecomte fell on a hard surface, briefly losing consciousness, and was evacuated on a stretcher with head and jaw injuries.Ferrand-Prévot’s victory, which brought France its second gold medal of the games, may mark the end of her mountain biking career. She had previously announced plans to retire from the discipline after this season to focus on road cycling and prepare for the 2025 Tour de France féminin.
Key points
- Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won gold in women’s cross-country mountain biking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Ferrand-Prévot finished nearly 3 minutes ahead of her closest competitor, marking her first Olympic gold.
- French cyclist Loana Lecomte crashed out of the race, suffering head and jaw injuries.
- This victory may mark the end of Ferrand-Prévot’s mountain biking career as she plans to focus on road cycling.
