At the 2025 World Mountain Biking Championship held in Turkey, Ukrainian cyclists Maria Sukhopalova and Maria Sherstyuk achieved remarkable results, securing first and third places respectively.
This championship was the 14th since its inception in 2012 and took place on June 22 in Sakarya, featuring 64 competitors: 42 men and 22 women.
Ukraine was represented by six athletes: Maria Sukhopalova, a medalist from the World Cup, Maria Sherstyuk, Olga Kucher in the women's category, and Dmitro Titarenko, Viktor Vodolaha, and Volodymyr Obukhivskyi among the men. Participants first competed in qualifications before advancing to the playoffs.
How did the championship unfold?
- All Ukrainian women successfully qualified, while among the men, only Titarenko made it to the main round.
- In the 1/8 finals, Titarenko fell short of the top 2 in his group, finishing 1.23 seconds behind the leader, thus ending his participation.
- In the quarterfinals, Sukhopalova posted the best result in her group at 2:32.09, with Sherstyuk also advancing, surpassing Kucher.
- In the semifinals, Sukhopalova and Sherstyuk reached the finals, facing off against competitors from France and the Netherlands.
- In the final race, Sukhopalova took an early lead and maintained it to finish first, while Sherstyuk secured the bronze medal with a significant margin over her rival.
Competition results:
1. Maria Sukhopalova (Ukraine) — 02:26.65 minutes
2. Izor Medde (France) — 02:30.06 minutes
3. Maria Sherstyuk (Ukraine) — 02:33.33 minutes
