Celebrate Team USA’s Mountain Bike Olympians in Bentonville
Visit Bentonville and USA Cycling are set to host a celebration honoring Team USA's Mountain Bike Olympians from Oct.13 to 20, 2024, in Bentonville, Arkansas. This week-long event marks a pivotal moment in American cycling history following the team's unprecedented success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Bentonville, known as the Mountain Biking Capital of the World,™ welcomes back the athletes who trained on its world-class trails before achieving Olympic glory. The star-studded lineup includes:
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Haley Batten - Olympic Silver Medalist, 2024 Team Relay World Champion
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Riley Amos - Best-Ever US Men's Olympic Mountain Bike Finisher, 2024 Short Track World Champion
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Christopher Blevins - Two-Time Olympian, 2021 Short Track World Champion, 2024 Team Relay World Champion
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Savilia Blunk - One-Time Olympian, 2023 Cross-Country and Short Track National Champion
Also joining are Mountain Bike National Champions Kelsey Urban, Brayden Johnson, Sofia Waite, and Maddie Munro.
Event Highlights
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October 13: Life Time Little Sugar MTB race featuring Olympic athletes
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October 14: Team USA Parade and Celebration down Main Street
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October 15: Thunder Dome Thriller: Dual Slalom at Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
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October 16: THE RISE FORUM: EMPOWERING WOMEN LEADERS by Women of Oz and partners
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October 20: Life Time Big Sugar Gravel race
* Athletes attending select events, inquire for a final list.
"Since training here in Bentonville, Team USA has achieved unprecedented success on the world stage," said Kalene Griffith, CEO of Visit Bentonville. USA Cycling relocated its Mountain Bike team to Bentonville in 2022 and held training camps in Bentonville throughout 2023 and 2024. "We are honored to welcome them back and celebrate their incredible achievements as a community. This is a moment of immense pride that goes beyond showcasing our world-class biking trails - It’s an opportunity to demonstrate the heart of Bentonville and inspire future generations."
"Basing USA Cycling’s mountain bike operations in Bentonville has enabled this program to achieve our next level of growth.” said Alec Pasqualina, Director of Mountain Bike with USA Cycling. “For three years we have taken full advantage of the trails, people, and infrastructure that makes Bentonville the incredible place that it is. Our success at the Olympics and World Championships this year is a true testament to the value of this partnership and the caliber of Bentonville's trails."
For more information: visitbentonville.com.
About USA Cycling
USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, gravel, BMX, and esports. USA Cycling’s mission is to grow participation and engagement with the sport of bicycle racing and achieve sustained international success across all cycling disciplines. In 2022, USA Cycling joined forces with Visit Bentonville, naming Bentonville, Arkansas as the home of the U.S. Mountain Bike National Team.
With the help of Bentonville and the Walton Family Foundation, USA Cycling has spent the past two years hosting National Team camps and training opportunities for international competitions on the Northwest Arkansas trail network. The long-term investment from the city of Bentonville will help USA Cycling reach its goal of gold in the LA 2028 Olympic Games. USA Cycling has a membership of 80,000, sanctions over 2,500 events annually, and is a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
About Visit Bentonville
Visit Bentonville is funded by the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission which was established in 1996. The commission is supported by a 2% tax on lodging and meeting space and a 1% tax on restaurant and dining establishments. The organization's mission is to brand, promote, and sell Bentonville as a tourism destination; improving quality of life and stimulating economic development.
Visit Bentonville leads the planning of sports, meetings, and group tours while also marketing leisure experiences that include arts, cycling, culinary, film, music, and aviation. Visit Bentonville also collaborates with tourism offices throughout the state of Arkansas to create a positive economic impact while increasing tourism amenities for both visitors and residents.