For many Americans, it might come as a surprise to see mountain biking in the Olympics. Yet cross-country mountain biking is not new to the Games. The sport debuted in Atlanta in 1996, and is today, dominated by Europeans.

But, recently, chances that an American cyclist could reach the podium and take home a medal have dramatically increased, thanks to Kate Courtney, whose success hasn’t been rivaled by other U.S. cyclists in decades.

Born in Marin County, Calif., the birthplace of mountain biking, Courtney grew up biking in the hills behind her house. In her first year in the elite field, she achieved something no American, man or woman, had done for 17 years — winning the world championships. The following year, 2019, she won the Overall World Cup title, taking the top spot in three of the seven World Cup races in the process.