Tom Pidcock of Great Britain successfully defended his Olympic mountain bike title at the Paris Games, overcoming a puncture that cost him over 35 seconds. Despite falling behind, Pidcock showcased remarkable resilience, catching up to France's Victor Koretzky, who had led most of the race. In a dramatic final sprint, Pidcock executed a daring overtake around a tree, leading to a collision that allowed him to secure victory by nine seconds. Pidcock's win was met with mixed reactions, including boos from the French crowd, but was deemed fair by race officials after a review of the incident. This victory marks Pidcock's second consecutive Olympic gold medal in mountain biking, adding to his triumph in Tokyo three years prior. Koretzky, while initially disappointed, did not lodge an official appeal against the race's outcome.