Cheers at pub as mountain biker competes in Olympics

Dozens of people from the Malvern area gathered to watch Evie Richards on Sunday

Cheers erupted in a Malvern pub on Sunday as local mountain biker Evie Richards took fifth place at the Paris Olympics.

Dozens of people gathered for the watch-party at the Brewer's Arms as she tackled the women's mountain bike race at the former quarry site of Elancourt Hill, the highest point in the Paris region.

It came just three months after Richards, 27, suffered a concussion in a crash during April's World Cup in Brazil.

"She did Malvern proud, it was an amazing race," said James Moseley, who was watching.

Ms Richards was the 2021 mountain bike cross-country world champion

"Evie's grown into a fantastic athlete, who has become a world champion already, competed at world championships and won world cups. The Olympics is the next one for Evie I guess," he told the BBC.

"A fifth at the Olympics is incredible."

Mr Moseley, whose wife, ex-mountain biker Tracey Moseley, coached Richards as a junior, said he had "no doubt" Richards would be at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Hatti Harnden, who was also watching, said: "It's lovely to see so many young kids coming to watch, she's definitely inspiring a lot of people to get out on their bikes."