The 2002 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships introduced four-cross as an official discipline for the first time in championship history.
Key Facts
- Dates
- 24 August – 1 September 2002
- Edition (Mountain Bike)
- 13th UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
- First four-cross championship
- Replaced dual slalom discipline
- Nicolas Vouilloz titles
- 7th downhill world title, 10th overall
- Anne-Caroline Chausson streak
- 7 consecutive women's downhill world titles
- Australian junior dominance
- 3 of 4 junior mountain bike world titles
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships rotate annually to different host nations. Austria had not previously hosted the event, and the governing body chose to expand the discipline roster by replacing the dual slalom—held at the previous two championships—with the emerging four-cross format.
Held in Kaprun, Austria from 24 August to 1 September 2002, the championships featured cross-country, downhill, four-cross, and trials. Notable performances included Roland Green defending his men's cross-country title, Gunn-Rita Dahle claiming her first women's cross-country title, and French riders sweeping both elite downhill titles through Nicolas Vouilloz and Anne-Caroline Chausson.
The inclusion of four-cross gave the discipline full world championship status for the first time, elevating its profile in competitive mountain biking. Vouilloz's tenth world title and Chausson's seventh consecutive downhill title cemented their standing among the sport's most decorated athletes, while Australia's dominance in junior events signalled its growing depth in mountain biking.