The inclusion of mountain biking as an Olympic event is an indicator of its widespread adaptation and immense popularity. For a sport to be added to the quadrennial event, it must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents.

Early History of Cycling

Since its invention in 1817, the bicycle has always been an inexpensive and popular form of transportation. The growth of cycling as a means of conveyance slowed in some Western societies with the advent of cars. The bicycle remains a very popular form of transportation in Asia and Africa.

The development of bicycle racing as a sport in Europe began in the 1890s. Cycling as recreation became organized after racing. Today, recreational cycling has become a cornerstone in physical fitness campaigns.

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Cycling in the Olympics

Men’s road and track races were held at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Women’s road races and track races in the Olympics started in 1984 and 1988, respectively.

Today, there are four different cycling disciplines included as events. Aside from road and track, mountain bike, and bicycle motocross (BMX) have been added. Racing is the only style of competition featured in these events.

Mountain Biking at the Olympic Games

Mountain biking, a cross-country race over rough terrain, got Olympic recognition and made its debut as an Olympic discipline at the Atlanta Games event in 1996 for men and women. It had its 7th appearance in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The cross-country (XC) format is the only discipline of mountain biking at the Olympic Games. It is an endurance-oriented event that typically features about 38 riders at the mass start competing in the men’s and women’s races, with a maximum of three riders per country. The contestants compete over rough terrain that includes unpaved fire roads with steep ascents and descents to technical singletrack trails filled with rocks and roots. The athletes are required to race multiple laps on the 4.1 km (2.5 miles) course that includes a 1.3 km start loop. The competition normally takes 80 to 100 minutes to complete.

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Only the best in the world qualify for Olympic mountain biking. There are a total of 37 places available via the qualification system, with one spot saved for the host nation. Under the rules, the 21 highest-ranked nations in the qualification ranking of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) can compete in the Olympics. UCI is the world governing body for sports cycling based in Switzerland. The top two teams earned three-rider spots, the third to seventh-place ranked nations get two riders and the eighth to 21st ranked allowed only one rider.

Mountain biking is a relatively young Olympic event. Experts believe that we are only at the beginning of a huge boom for mountain biking not only in the US but worldwide. As more kids get on bikes, we develop a generation that sees mountain biking as a life-long sport, whether it is competing on the world’s biggest stages like the Olympics or conquering personal goals on one’s backyard trails.

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