Haley Batten made American Olympic history on Sunday by winning the silver medal in the women’s cross country mountain bike event.
It was the best Olympic result by an American mountain biker in the history of the sport.
But when she left France Lightweight wallet.
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Haley Batten of the United States competes in the women’s mountain bike cross country event during the second day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Elancourt Hill in Elancourt, France on July 28, 2024. (Henk Jan Dijks/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Batten was fined about $565 for violating regulations on the final lap when she was battling for second place with Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds and passed the lane designated for stopping for food or mechanical problems.
The judges found Batten had broken just one rule – “failed to respect the instructions of the race organiser or the track” – and did not appear to consider her infraction to be worthy of disqualification.
Both Batten and Rissved finished behind France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
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Haley Batten of the United States competes in the women’s mountain bike cycling event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Elancourt, France. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“Before Tokyo, I knew this was the race I would be focused on,” Batten said. “I’d known for a long time that I could do well here, and Tokyo was no different. I wanted to be on the podium, but honestly I just wasn’t ready. I just prepared more to put in my best performance to date. For me, preparation is all about the details, studying and building on each year.”
Batten suffered a flat tire during the race but survived – fortunately an American mechanic was nearby and quickly helped him change the tire.
The only other medals won by Americans were bronze medals, won by Susan DeMattee in 1996 and Georgia Gould in 2012.
“It’s really difficult to perform in one day. Everyone who goes to the Olympics is the best in the world,” Batten added.
From left, silver medalist Haley Batten of the United States, gold medalist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France and bronze medalist Jenny Rissved of Sweden celebrate on the podium after the women’s cross country mountain bike event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Elancourt Hill venue in Elancourt, July 28, 2024. (Emmanuel Dunant/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Everybody’s strong, everybody’s healthy. Everybody’s well prepared and able to run at their best. So it’s great to be able to come out there with a clear head mentally, prepared and at their best, regardless of the challenges before or during the race.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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