The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships have kicked off with a bang for Team USA, with Kate Courtney and Keegan Swenson claiming victories in the elite women’s and elite men’s cross-country marathon events, respectively, on Saturday in the Valais, Switzerland.

The 125km race was held from Verbier to Grimentz, following a route through the Val d’Anniviers valley, with the highest peak, the Pas de Lona at 2,787m, in the last part of the race.

Men’s Elite Race Recap

In the elite men’s race, Spain’s David Valero Serrano took the early lead at the first time check, followed by two Swiss athletes, Dario Lillo and Alexandre Balmer.Swenson was positioned further back in fifth with Czechia’s Ondřej Cink, Germany’s Andreas Seewald, and Colombia’s Héctor Leonardo Páez León in the mix.

Cink had moved into the race lead by the time they reached the second checkpoint; though, by the third checkpoint, it was Swenson who led the race.

As they passed the final checkpoint, Swenson held a one-minute advantage over Italy’s Samuele Porro, who was nearly three minutes ahead of Páez León.

Swenson crossed the line with the winning time of 6:01:44.3, with Porro taking the silver medal at 25 seconds back, and the bronze medal going to Páez León at 3:42 back.

Women’s Elite race Recap

In the elite women’s race, Courtney secured the gold medal ahead of Switzerland’s Anna Weinbeer and Austria’s three-time former winner Mona Mitterwallner.