Multiple nations enjoy the downhill spoils at Masters World Championships

It was an international smorgasbord of newly minted 2024 MTB Masters World Champions at the downhill finals in Cairns, Queensland.

Fourteen new world champions were crowned with the rainbow jersey under brilliant Far North Queensland skies at the iconic Smithfield Mountain Bike Park in Cairns.

Three would end up in Australian riders hands.

After two days of practice in ever-changing conditions, riders were treated to a perfect course which had dried out after rain earlier in the week.

Downhill riders enjoyed perfect conditions on finals day in Cairns.

It would be Italian Maryline Bisson-Gèrault who claimed the first gold medal of the world championships in the Female 65-69 category when racing got underway.

With riders from 25 countries competing at the event the Australian flag would be hoisted in back-to-back races as Kellie Mehan added to her recent national title in the Female 55-59 category before Fiona Langfeldt rolled through for the win in the 50-54 age group.

“I am so pleased to have got down and am really happy,” she said.

Fiona Langfeldt celebrates her gold medal in the 50-54 category at the Masters World Championships.

The next three categories would see the international riders dominate with the gold medal going to Italy, United States and Andorra.

It wasn’t until the Male 50-54 category that spectators would see a sub four-minute run.

Returning to the venue 28 years later Spainard Tomi Misser would finally win the rainbow jersey that eluded him when racing as a junior back in 1996.

“I was one of the favourites for the world championships and I crashed near the finish line.

“Life has given me another opportunity to come here.”

Times continued to tumble as racing tightened up with only one second separating the winners in the 45-49 and 40-44 categories.

However, it was Mitch Delfs who after qualifying fastest in his 35-39 category would throw down a heater of a finals run of 3:36.123 to ensure another Australian would stand top of the podium.

“Race run was unbelievable I was smooth everywhere I wanted to be.

“Took me a while I tried to do it in the elite and wasn’t good enough took me a few years sitting around on the couch enjoying myself but we’re back and we did it can’t believe it.”

Full results can be found here.