Thai national cyclists Methasit Boonsane and Vipavee Deekaballes swept to victory in the men's and women's elite downhill events at the 2026 Asian Mountain Bike Championships in Uzbekistan on Wednesday.
Methasit retained his gold medal and won the Asian Championship for the fifth consecutive time, while Vipavee maintained her dominance in the category, winning the Asian title for the 10th time.
Methasit finished the final round with a time of 2:25.099 minutes in the men's elite downhill event. Japanese cyclists Yuga Ikuta and Tesuma Hakuji took the silver and bronze medals respectively.
In the women's elite downhill competition, Vipavee did not disappoint after she crossed the line in 2:44.843 minutes. Indonesian Milatul Khaqimah took the silver medal and Naomi Gardoce of the Philippines won the bronze medal.
Gen Decha Hemkrasri, president of the Thai Cycling Association, said, "The two downhill gold medals in the Asian Championships proved that the Thai national team are still No.1 in mountain bike downhill competition. But it is a pity that there is no downhill event in the medals competition at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. Otherwise, the Thai cycling team will have a chance to win gold from these two events."
The 2026 Asian Mountain Bike Championships are being held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from June 23-27.
