Haley Batten made American Olympics’ history with a silver medal in the women’s mountain biking cross-country event on Sunday.
It was the best finish for an American mountain biker at an Olympics in the sport’s history.
However, she will leave France with a lighter wallet.
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Batten was fined about $565 for breaking a rule on the final lap. She was jockeying for second place with Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds when she went through a lane meant for taking in food or stopping for mechanical problems.
Judges only determined that Batten broke one rule – failing to “respect the instructions of the race organization or commissaries.” Officials did not appear to believe her infraction was enough to warrant a disqualification.
Both Batten and Rissveds finished behind France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot.
“I knew before Tokyo that this was the race I was focusing on,” Batten said. “I’ve known for a long time that I could be good here and Tokyo was — I wanted to be on the podium there, but I wasn’t quite ready to be honest. I prepared much better to be the best I’ve ever been. For me, preparation has been in the details, studying and building every single year.”
Batten also survived a tire puncture during the race. She was fortunate to be near American mechanics to help her change the tire quickly.
The only other medals won by Americans have been bronze – Susan DeMattei in 1996 and Georgia Gould in 2012.
“Being able to perform on one day is really challenging, and everybody at the Olympics is the best in the world,” Batten added.
“Everybody’s strong, everybody’s fit. Everybody’s well-prepared and can ride at their best. So for me to mentally be able to clear my mind and be ready and race at my best, regardless of challenges before the race and during the race, it’s amazing.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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