Switzerland sweeps the podium in women's cross-country mountain bike race
Canada's Catharine Pendrel finishes 18th after winning bronze in Rio
Switzerland only had three women in the cross-country mountain bike race but they were the three to beat.
Jolanda Neff took over first place just two kilometres into the 20.55-km race and never looked back as she finished with a time of one hour 15 minutes and 46 seconds to claim gold at the Tokyo Olympics. She finished 1:11 ahead of Sina Frei who rode to second, while Linda Indergrand won bronze for a Swiss sweep.
B.C.'s Catharine Pendrel, the bronze medallist in Rio who at age 40 is competing in her fourth Olympics, finished 18th in 1:23:47, while Markham, Ont.'s Haley Smith did not finish.
Neff took the lead when world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot crashed on a slippery section of rocks on the first loop in the mountains southwest of Tokyo. She soon built her advantage to more than a minute over a field that included France's Loana Lecomte, the winner of every World Cup race this season, and reigning Olympic champ Jenny Rissveds.
