In an impressive natural setting, the Mountain Bike in the Olympic Cross Country modality brought together the continental elite of the discipline, offering the public a spectacle of speed, skill, and endurance.
In the women’s category, the Brazilian Luiza Cocuzzi took the gold medal with a time of 1:17 over 19.63 km. Silver went to the Argentinian Lucía Miralles (19.54 km – 1:17) and bronze to the Colombian María Salamanca (19.48 km – 1:18). Fourth place went to Florencia Monsálvez of Chile (19.37 km – 1:18), while Laura Cagua of Colombia finished fifth with 19.05 km.
The winner highlighted the quality of the circuit, which she described as “one of the best” she has competed on. “The feeling is indescribable, and I thank the entire Brazilian team. The track is one of the best I’ve raced, fast and technical, and I was able to adapt quickly. Taking this medal to my country is a huge source of pride,” she added.
In the men’s category, the Mexican Iván Aguilar was crowned champion with 23.88 km in a time of 1:16, setting a solid pace from the start. The silver medal went to the Argentinian Nicolás Reynoso (23.62 km – 1:17) and the bronze to Eiki Yamauchi of Mexico (23.54 km). Fourth place was taken by the Colombian Antonio Gómez (22.56 km – 1:21) and fifth place by the Mexican Nils Gutiérrez (22.47 km – 1:21).
Mexico’s gold medalist, Aguilar, said: “The track was a lot of fun, and I adapted quickly. I came from Mexico determined to win, and I worked hard until the end, accelerating on each lap. I want to highlight the organization and Encarnación, which is a beautiful place with very kind people, and I leave motivated to continue improving for the next events.”
The awards ceremony, held on the edge of the circuit, was a moment full of emotion, with the national anthems playing and the public cheering the medalists. Afterward, the public enjoyed a special show from Tito and Tika, the official mascots of ASU2025, who livened up the afternoon with games and dancing, reinforcing the festive spirit of the event.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN ENCARNACIÓN
After the successful debut of Mountain Bike, the Encarnación Sub-venue will continue to host high-level competitions at the city’s San José Beach. Between August 15 and 22, the Open Water, Sailing, and Triathlon sports will take place, all with free admission. The calendar promises new days of excitement by the Paraná River, consolidating Encarnación as one of the sports capitals of ASU2025.
