Ukrainian cyclists Maria Sukopalova and Maria Sherstyuk made headlines by clinching the top two spots at the 2025 Mountain Bike World Championship in the Eliminator discipline.

Taking place on June 22 in Sakarya, Turkey, this championship marked the 14th event in its history since its inception in 2012. Initially part of international competitions until 2019, it has since become an independent event. This year's competition featured 64 participants: 42 men and 22 women.

Six cyclists represented Ukraine at this championship: in the women's category, Sukopalova, Sherstyuk, and Olga Kuchery; and in the men's category, Dmytro Titarenko, Viktor Vodolaha, and Volodymyr Obukhivskyi. The competition began with qualifying rounds, followed by playoff stages where athletes were divided into groups of four to compete for a place in the final.

What transpired during the 2025 Mountain Bike World Championship?

• All Ukrainian women successfully advanced through the qualifying rounds, while in the men's category, only Titarenko made it to the main event.
• In the 1/8 finals, Titarenko could not finish in the top 2 of his group, falling short by 1.23 seconds, thus concluding his participation.
• In the 1/4 finals among women, Sukopalova advanced with the best time in group 3, while Sherstyuk surpassed Kuchery by 5.39 seconds.
• In the semifinals, both Sukopalova and Sherstyuk progressed to the finals, where they faced competitors from France and the Netherlands.
• In the final race, Sukopalova surged ahead from the start and secured victory with a margin of 3.41 seconds over the French competitor, while Sherstyuk earned the bronze medal with a lead of over 26 seconds against her rival.

Results: UCI 2025 Mountain Bike World Championship (Women)

1. Maria Sukopalova (Ukraine) — 02:26.65 minutes

2. Izor Medde (France) — 02:30.06 minutes

3. Maria Sherstyuk (Ukraine) — 02:33.33 minutes