Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds powers way to gold on mountain bike

Jenny Rissveds found another gear going up the first long hill of the last lap of the women's mountain bike race.

By the time she started her descent, the Swedish cyclist had finally pulled away from Maja Wloszczowska of Poland. Rissveds was never seriously challenged again on way to winning to the Olympic gold medal yesterday.

She finished the six-plus lap race in 1 hour, 30 minutes, 15 seconds, beating Wloszczowska by 37 seconds. For Wloszczowska, it was second career Olympic silver in the event, following Beijing in 2008. Catharine Pendrel held off Canadian teammate Emily Batty for the bronze in Rio de Janeiro.

Rissveds already had an impressive few months, winning a World Cup race and the under23 world championship in backto-back weeks in July.

Crossing the finish line with a smile, Rissveds circled around and got a hug from a fan near a railing.

Much of the race was held in 90-degree temperatures under overcast skies. Riders gave mainly good reviews for the course before the race, though a few worried about the heat since there were relatively few trees providing shade.

It didn't seem to Rissveds on the last lap.

Until then, Rissveds and Wloszczowska dueled for much of the second half of the race, breaking away from the pack. Jolanda Neff of Sweden, ranked third in the world, stuck close to bother the pair early before falling back. She finished in sixth.

Reigning world champion Annika Langvad was 11th and American Lea Davison had a strong finish and came in seventh, three minutes behind Rissveds.

Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds lifts her bike after her mountain bike triumph