USA Cycling announced today the 37 remaining athletes that have been nominated to represent the United States at the upcoming 2008 Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, June 15-22.
 
With only a  little more than two months remaining until the Olympic Games in Beijing, American cross-country athletes will square off against fellow 2008 hopefuls from across the globe in the only Olympic discipline of off-road cycling. Six men and seven women have been nominated to the elite cross-country squad.
 
Adam Craig (Bend, OR) received the only automatic nomination to the team as a top 15 ranked American male in the UCI rankings. He is joined by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, CO), Todd Wells (Durango, CO), Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, VA), Michael Broderick (Chilmark, MA) and Sam Schultz (Colorado Springs, CO), who all received discretionary nominations.
 
On the women’s side, Georgia Gould (Ketchum, ID) and Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, MA) were automatically nominated--Gould by virtue of her podium performances at World Cup events this year in Houffalize and Madrid and McConneloug due to her eighth place UCI ranking. Heather Irmiger (Boulder, CO), Willow Koerber (Asheville, NC), Sue Haywood (Davis, WV), Lea Davison (Jericho, VT) and Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, CO) all received discretionary nominations based upon international results.
 
In the gravity events, Kyle Strait (Riverside, CA), J.D. Swanguen (San Diego, CA), Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, CA), Cole Bangert (Twin Lakes, CO), Cody Warren (El Cajon, CA), Kain Leonard (Gunnison, CO) and Lars Steinberg (Gunnison, CO) received discretionary nominations to the elite men’s downhill team. As the winner of the UCI downhill contest at the Chile Challenge in Angel Fire, NM, Melissa Buhl (Chandler, AZ) received the only automatic nomination to the elite women’s downhill squad. Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, CA) will join her as a discretionary selection.
 
Due to their medal performances at the 2007 world championships, Brian Lopes (San Clemente, CA) and Buhl both received automatic nominations to the elite men’s and women’s 4-Cross teams. Ross Milan (Golden, CO), Mike Haderer (Concord, CA), Erik Nelson (Gilbert, AZ) and Blake Carney (Camarillo, CA) will join Lopes on the men’s 4-Cross squad as discretionary selections. Neven Steinmetz (Boulder. CO) will join Buhl on the women’steam as a discretionary pick. Jessica Vogt (Boulder, CO) received a discretionary selection, but declined her nomination. 
 
Kevin Aiello (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), Naish Ulmer (Park City, UT), Joseph Schusler (Boulder, CO), Taylor Borucki (Durango, CO), Dustin Belcher (Carbondale, CO), Graeme Pitts (Nevada City, CA) and Geoffrey Ulmer (Troy, NY) were also named to the junior men’s downhill squad. 
 
Twelve junior and U23 cross-country athletes were previously named to the 2008 Mountain Bike World Championship squad that will represent the United States.
 
U.S. WORLD'S TEAM NOMINATIONS 
CROSS-COUNTRY
Adam Craig...Giant
Todd Wells...GT
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski...Subaru-Gary Fisher
Jeremiah Bishop...Trek-VW
Michael Broderick...Kenda-Seven
Sam Schultz...Subaru-Gary Fisher
CROSS-COUNTRY WOMEN
Mary McConneloug...Kenda-Seven
Georgia Gould...Luna Chix
Willow Koerber...Subaru-Gary Fisher
Heather Irmiger...Subaru-Gary Fisher
Sue Haywood...Trek-VW
Lea Davison...Trek-VW
Kelli Emmett...Giant
DOWNHILL
Kyle Strait...Specialized
J.D. Swanguen...MS-Intense
Duncan Riffle...Cannondale
Cole Bangert...Specialized
Cody Warren
Kain Leonard...Crested Butte Acdmy-TLD-Maxxis
Lars Steinberg
DOWNHILL WOMEN
Melissa Buhl...KHS
Kathy Pruitt
JUNIOR
Kevin Aiello...Yeti
Naish Ulmer...go-ride
Joseph Schusler...Yeti-Fox
Taylor Borucki...Durango Devo-PTP
Dustin Belcher...Orbit Racing-Kona
Graeme Pitts...Dark Horse Racing
Geoffrey Ulmer...Rotec-Magura-Gamut-odi
4-CROSS
Brian Lopes...Oakley-Ibis
Ross Milan...Yeti-Fox Shox
Mike Haderer...Fox-Yeti
Erik Nelson...Thor-Michelin
Blake Carney...Fly-Marzocchi-Maxxis-odi
4-CROSS WOMEN
Melissa Buhl...KHS
Neven Steinmetz...Totally Wired
Jessica Vogt*...Turner
 
*declined nomination

 

PREVIOUSLY RELEASED U.S. U23 & JUNIOR XC TEAM NOMINATIONS  
U23
1. Sam Jurekovic...U23 National
2. Colin Cares...U23 National
3. Mitchell Peterson...Monavie-Cannondale
4. Tim Allen...Voodoo
U23 WOMEN
1. Jamie Dinkins...Devo
2. Chloe Forsman...Luna Chix
JUNIOR
1. Kerry Werner...Shirks-Trek
2. John Bennett...Whole Athlete
3. Robbie Squire...Devo
4. Seamus Powell...Windham Mt
JUNIOR WOMEN
1. Jill Behlen...Tokyo Joe's
2. Deidre York...Velobum-Turner