Olympian Haley Batten takes her first mountain bike world cup win in Brazil

Haley Batten of Park City wins MTB-World-Cup in Brazil. Photo: Courtesy of USA Cycling

BRAZIL — Park City athlete, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Haley Batten, swept both of her mountain bike World Cup races in Brazil in the end of April, placing first in elite women’s short track XCC and first again in the ‘Olympic’ length course or XCO. It was her first elite women’s XCO World Cup win. 

26-year-old Batten shared the XCO podium with a woman from Sweden in second, and a fellow American in third.

For the XCC, second place went to Switzerland and third was a repeat performance from the American cyclist.

Cross-country short track is a variation of Cross-country Olympic. The start and finish must be in the same area. The distance of the course must not be more than two kilometers with a race duration of 20-30 minutes.

Natural and/or artificial obstacles are only permitted if their use has been approved beforehand by the UCI technical delegate or, in his absence, the president of the commissaires’ panel. Batten’s win was done in 22 minutes.

Cross-country is part of the Olympic program. Cross-country races are held over undulating circuits (with technical descents, forest roads, rocky paths and obstacles) of 4-6K. The race varies from an hour and 20 minutes to an hour and 40 minutes, depending on the category. In Brazil’s World Cup, Batten finished her XCC in one hour and 17 minutes.