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| Event type

Cross-Country, Women

Date23 August 2008 — 10:00
StatusOlympic
LocationLaoshan Shandi Zixingche Chang, Beijing
Participants30 from 22 countries
Format26.7 km.

Since 2002 the greatest mountain biker in the world had been Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesja, who had won the gold medal in 2004, and was World Champion in 2002, and 2004-06. She competed in Beijing but withdrew on the fourth lap of the six-lap race of 27 km. With her out Sabine Spitz (GER), World Champion in 2003 and runner-up in 2007, won the race easily. Spitz took the lead on the first lap, and eventually won by 41 seconds over Poland’s Maja Wloszczowska, runner-up at the 2004-05 Worlds. The bronze medal went to Russia’s Irina Kalentyeva, the 2007 World Champion. The race was held over a difficult course with drops, climbs and technical rock sections that broke apart the 30-rider field. The day was very hot and humid, and this and the difficult course led to only 18 riders finishing the race.

PosCompetitorNOCTimeMargin
1Sabine SpitzGER1-45:11Gold
2Maja WłoszczowskaPOL1-45:52at 0:41Silver
3Irina KalentyevaRUS1-46:28at 1:17Bronze
4Catharine PendrelCAN1-46:37at 1:26
5Ren ChengyuanCHN1-47:40at 2:29
6Petra HenziSUI1-48:41at 3:30
7Mary McConnelougUSA1-50:34at 5:23
8Georgia GouldUSA1-50:51at 5:40
9Rosara JosephNZL1-51:07at 5:56
10Aleksandra DawidowiczPOL1-51:21at 6:10
11Elisabeth OslAUT1-51:39at 6:28
12Liu YingCHN1-52:01at 6:50
13Lene BybergNOR1-53:19at 8:08
14Elsbeth van Rooy-VinkNED1-53:30at 8:19
15Nathalie SchneitterSUI1-53:42at 8:31
16Eva LechnerITA1-58:22at 13:11
17Laurence LeboucherFRA2-00:55at 15:44
18Adelheid MorathGER2-02:25at 17:14
19Jaque MourãoBRAat 1 lap
20Rie KatayamaJPNat 1 lap
21Blaža KlemenčičSLOat 1 lap
22Yolande SpeedyRSAat 2 laps
23Vera AndreyevaRUSat 2 laps
24Janka ŠtevkováSVKat 2 laps
25Francisca CamposCHIat 2 laps
26Dellys StarrAUSat 2 laps
DNFGunn Rita Dahle-FlesjåNOR1
DNFMarga FullanaESP2
DNFMarie-Hélène PrémontCAN3
DNFTereza HuřikováCZE4