Video: Kate Courtney wins XC Worlds – Redbull
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmvX4u5wZYU
The season draws to a dramatic end at the final World Cup of 2018. While the overall titles are out of reach for rookies Kate Courtney and Finn Iles, it’s a chance for them both to lay down a marker at the end of their debut year among the elite.
Kate Courtney on board here Specialized utilizing her skills she learned growing up in Northern California and racing in the NICA high school league
Editor’s Note: Updated Sept 11 with video recap and photos from early training.
Capping off her meteoric rise to the top ranks of Women’s XC World Cup racing this season, 22-year old Kate Courtney won the mountain bike World Championships today in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
For insight into her life and training, check HERE .
Danish rider Annika Langvad took an early lead, and Courtney spent much of the day working with a 20-second gap. The 22-year-old from California caught Langvad, the 2016 world champion, with a few laps left.
She eventually opened a 48-second advantage. That turned out to be the winning margin against Langvad who finished second, with Emily Batty of Canada finishing third.
The full coverage replay is available HERE.
The U.S. once dominated mountain biking, but the world-wide growth of the discipline in the late 1990s largely left the Americans behind. Alison Dunlap was the last to win a world championship in 2001.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YEU4CHauvw
Key moves by Kate Courtney
“Today was an incredibly special day,” said Courtney. “I knew I was coming into this race in good form and focused on just executing my plan. To come away with a Gold Medal and the Rainbow Stripes for Team USA and Specialized was beyond my wildest dreams.” Said Courtney.
The Lenzerheide race marked Courtney’s first world championships in the elite division. The 22-year-old Californian finished second in the U23 division in 2017.
VeloNews profiled Courtney earlier this year.
Results
Kate Courtney (USA), les 29,4 km en 1 h 34:55
Annika Langvad (DEN) à 47.
Emily Batty (CAN) à 1:58.
Jolanda Neff (SWI) à 2:13.
Maja Wloszczowska (POL) à 3:15.
Kate is only 22-years old but already physically prepared. Her workouts are intense and her dad has been pulling on this elastic handlebar balance ball for the last six years.
Kate Courtney Results in 2018
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO – XCC – DHI
24 Aug 2018, La Bresse, France 7 Women Elite
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO – XCC – DHI
10 Aug 2018, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada 6 Women Elite
USA National Championships – XCO – END
17 Jul 2018, Snowshoe Mountain, Snowshoe, WV, United States 1 Women Elite
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO – XCC – DHI
13 Jul 2018, Vallnord, Andorra 6 Women Elite
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO – XCC – DHI
6 Jul 2018, Val di Sole, Italy 7 Women Elite
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO – XCC
25 May 2018, Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic 9 Women Elite
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO – XCC
18 May 2018, Albstadt, Germany 10 Women Elite
SUBARU Sea Otter Classic
21 Apr 2018, Monterey, CA, United States 2 Women Elite
US Cup – Bonelli Park XCO
14 Apr 2018, San Dimas, CA, United States 6 Women Elite
US Cup-Fontana City National
7 Apr 2018, Fontana City, CA, United States 5 Women Elite
Absa Cape Epic
18 Mar 2018, Cape Town – Western Cape, South Africa 1 Women Elite
UCI MTB WORLD CUP – XCO
10 Mar 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa 24 Women Elite
Too young to pedal up Mt. Tam by their house, Kate was on a tandem bike with dad at a very young age. Those shoes reveal that they were serious about pedaling.
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