DPA
Paris
Pauline Ferrand Prevot shook off her Olympic demons of the past with a ride to an elusive mountainbike cross-country cycling gold medal on Sunday at her Paris home Games.
Top favourite Ferrand Prevot broke the field in the first of seven laps over 4.4 kilometres at Colline d’Elancourt to finally come good at the Games in front of a huge crowd of 13,000 chanting her name.
The 32-year-old led by more than a minute at the halfway mark and crossed the line in sheer delight and tears of joy. She won in a stunning 2:57 minutes ahead of American Haley Batten, with Swedish 2016 winner Jenny Rissveds taking bronze.
Finally gold for Ferrand Prevot The Olympic gold in what she has said would be her last cross-country season before a return to road cycling completes her silverware collection which includes 12 world titles, five in the cross-country and one from the 2014 road race.
Ferrand Prevot made her Olympic debut in 2012 in London coming 25th, did not finish in Rio 2016 and had to settle for 10th three years ago in Tokyo after an early fall.
“I’m struggling to realize. I had a perfect race and a perfect preparation. I tried to do (a) run with my feelings - it means going full gas on the hills to recover on the descents,” the winner said.
