Britain’s Pidcock Storms to Cross-Country Gold

Britain's Thomas Pidcock celebrates after winning the gold medal at the medal ceremony of the cycling mountain bike men's cross-country event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Izu MTB Course in Izu, Japan, on July 26, 2021. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

IZU, Japan—Britain’s Tom Pidcock became the youngest ever Olympic mountain bike champion as he left his rivals in a cloud of dust as he stormed to the gold medal on the Izu course on Monday.

The relentless 21-year-old seized control after four laps of the 4.1km Izu circuit and he was never challenged, riding away to victory by 20 seconds ahead of Swiss Mathias Flueckiger.