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.

• January 12, 2009 -- France’s Julien Absalon’s Olympic Gold Mountain Bike
• August 23, 2008 -- France Takes Gold and Silver in Men’s Mountain Biking at 2008 Olympic Games
• August 19, 2008 -- Video Footage of the 2008 Olympic Mountain Biking Course
• August 13, 2008 -- 2008 Olympic Mountain Biking in Beijing