Rebecca Henderson is no stranger to the big stage and will represent Australia at a fourth Olympic Games in Paris where riders will take on a challenging cross country course that is set to test them physically and technically.
Overview
Mountain bike racing at the Paris Olympics will be held at Elancourt Hill which is in the department of Yvelines, 44km from the Olympic Village. Awaiting riders is a 4.4km course which includes 110m of climbing per lap, as well as rock gardens and jumps to navigate. Host nation France has won more gold medals (four) than any other nation since mountain biking made its Olympic debut in 1996.
Ones to Watch
Canberra-born Rebecca is set for her fourth Games after competing in London in 2012, Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021 where she finished 28th in the women's cross country. Rebecca is a two-time bronze medallist at the cross country world championships in 2019 and 2020 and won a bronze medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. The 32-year-old is Australia's sole mountain bike representative at the Games.
Sport Format
The men's and women's mountain bike medals are determined by a one-off race where riders stage a mass start and are required to complete a certain number of laps around a hilly circuit. Racing typically lasts between 1hr 20mins and 1hr 40mins and first across the line wins.
Competition Schedule (Australian times)
28 July, 9.40pm: Women's Cross Country final.
29 July, 9.40pm: Men's Cross Country final.
