About The Sport
Mountain biking covers three different disciplines, Downhill, Four Cross and Cross Country/Marathon. For the Olympics the only event that is included is Cross-country.
The key to Cross-country success is fitness as well as great skill. The riders all start together and race over a course with each lap between three and six kilometres. The course is marked and covers a wide variety of terrain with constant changes of elevation and difficulty. The race lasts roughly between 2h 00m and 2h30m.