Olympic veterans Christopher Blevins and Haley Batten lead US mountain bike team for Paris Games

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

Olympic veterans Christopher Blevins and Haley Batten will lead the U.S. mountain bikers next month at the Paris Games. Riley Amos and Savilia Blunk round out the four-person lineup announced by USA Cycling. The discipline of off-road bike racing was largely invented in the U.S., but Americans were long ago lapped by European nations when it came to the Olympics. Since its introduction at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, the U.S. has won only two of the 42 medals awarded, and both were bronze. But there are high hopes for Paris after American riders have become a mainstay on World Cup podiums.