Germany’s Sabine Spitz Claims Gold at Beijing Olympics

Veteran racer Sabine Spitz of Germany dominated Laoshan Mountain at the Olympic women’s mountain bike race Saturday, winning the gold medal by 41 seconds over Poland’s Maja Wloszezowska. Spitz becomes Germany’s first gold medalist in Mountain Biking since it became an Olympic sport in 1996.

A world champion in 2003 and bronze medalist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the 36-year-old stopped pedaling just before the finish line and walked over holding her bike over her head crossing the line in 1:45.11.

With Spitz facing nothing but an open trail for gold, the battle for the remaining medals was intense.

Maja Wloszczowska chugged away from a chase group in the second lap and settled into Poland’s first Mountain Bike Olympic medal, taking silver at 41 seconds off the pace in 1:45.52.

Russia’s Irina Kalentyeva battled against Catharine Pendrel of Canada in the final lap for third, with the Russian edging her Canadian rival by just nine seconds to claim bronze in 1:46.28.

The 30-rider Women’s field struggled against the heat and the challenging course that caused scores of riders to crash. Only 18 riders of 30 starters finished; eight riders were lapped and four did not finish.

Three pre-race favorites struggled early on.

Marie-Helene Premont of Canada, silver medalist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, defending Olympic champion Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa of Norway and Margarita Fullana of Spain, three-time world champion and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games bronze medalist, all did not finish.

View video footage of the course.