Lea Davison has been in the top twenty at all three world cup events so far this season but she hasn’t come close to the performance she had at the UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championship on Saturday. Davison was 16th after the starting loop and had to work her way up through the standings, still sitting outside the medals going into the last lap. Davison really brought it on the final lap, passing two competitors and finishing the lap three seconds quicker than anyone else and with a silver medal awaiting her.

Her push for silver was as amazing as the fall for those in second and third going into the last lap. Poland’s Maja Wloszczowska was 57 seconds ahead of Davison going into the final lap but was 17th fastest on the final lap, almost a minute and a half slower than Davison, and then got beat to the line in a photo finish by Emily Batty of Canada for the bronze. Sabine Spitz of Germany was over a half minute in front of Davison going into the final lap but was 40th fastest on that lap, three and half minutes behind Davison, as she wound up ninth.

Davison wasn’t the only American to have a strong day as Erin Huck placed 11th, Chloe Woodruff was 14th, and Georgia Gould was 15th. It was better finishes for Huck and Gould than they have achieved on the world cup series this year and Woodruff was one off her series high from the year. Mary McConneloug in 30th and Rose Grant in 32nd completed a great day for the US.

Tomorrow in the men’s race Stephen Ettinger, Howard Grotts, and Spencer Paxson will compete for the US.

On Saturday seven Americans, including Davison, will take part in the women’s cross country race. Also in the field are Chloe Woodruff and American national champion Erin Huck. Both Ettinger and Grotts have multiple top 32 finishes this year.

UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country World Championships Coverage:
Preview
Wednesday Update
Thursday Update