Mountain bike champion calls games absence a shame

Harriet Harnden is already a 17-time British Champion

A 17-time British mountain biking champion said it was a shame to see the sport removed from the Commonwealth Games.

Harriet Harden, from Malvern, Worcestershire, said the games were an opportunity to attract new riders.

A slimmed down version of the games is taking place in Glasgow in two-years-time after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew as host due to rising costs.

Mountain biking was one of 10 events to be stripped from the 2026 games, including hockey, badminton, wrestling, cricket, and shooting.

Harnden does not currently compete in cross country mountain biking, instead focusing on downhill racing, but said she still had ambitions to compete.

"It's definitely a shame," she said.

"Even though I'm not racing cross country now, there was a time I wanted to go to the Commonwealth games.

"It'll definitely make an impact on the younger generation.

"To not see those things happening so much - it's a real shame."

Harnden, who won the Enduro World Cup in September, said the games were a big deal for mountain bikers.

"It would be sad to see it completely disappear.

"Hopefully it comes back in later years, but I guess we'll kind of wait and see."