 Rachel Atherton in August 2008 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rachel Laura Atherton |
| Nickname | Waynehead |
| Born | (1987-12-06)6 December 1987 (age 37) Salisbury, England, United Kingdom |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Atherton Racing |
| Discipline | BMX & MTB |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | DH |
| Professional teams | |
| 2007–2011 | Animal Commençal |
| 2011–2015 | GT |
| 2015–2018 | Trek Factory Racing |
| 2018– | Atherton Bikes |
| Major wins | |
| DH World Champion (x5) DH World Cup (x6 overall, 40 rounds) DH European Champion DH National Champion (x6) DH Junior World Champion DH Junior European Champion | |
Medal record | |
Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987) is a British professionaldownhillmountain bike racer, and is a multiple timeUCI World Champion.
Atherton began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11.[1] She was bothSunday Times' Sportswoman of the Year[2] and BBC Midlands Junior Sportswoman of the Year[3] in 2005, and then BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year in 2008.[4] In October 2015, a video of Atherton overtaking 91 competitors in five minutes during a race wentviral.[5]
For 5 years from 2007, Atherton was part of theAnimal Commençal race team along with brothersDan Atherton andGee Atherton. In 2012, Atherton, along with her brothers Dan, Gee and Marc Beaumont, signed withGT Bicycles. In 2015, Atherton and her brothers signed withTrek Bicycle Corporation to race for Trek Atherton Racing.[6]
In June 2008 Atherton became the first British woman to win theElite UCI Downhill World Championship, defeating second placedSabrina Jonnier by 11.99 seconds in the final.[7]
Atherton was involved in a collision with apickup truck whilst on atime trial training ride with her brothers Dan and Gee inSanta Cruz,California, on 18 January 2009.[8] She sustained a dislocated shoulder which, after later needing a nerve graft,[9] ruled her out of the 2009 racing season, including the SeptemberWorld Championships inCanberra.[10]
In September 2012, Atherton took the final World Cup round on a diverse and testing Norwegian track and clinched the overall title, despite missing the opening race of the season. The Norwegian race was the final round of a seven-round series in which Atherton claimed a win in 5 of the 6 events she raced.
In June 2016, Atherton became the first woman to win 10 consecutive rounds of the World Cup, surpassing the record previously held byAnne-Caroline Chausson.[11] In September that same year, she also achieved the unprecedented feat of winning every round in a World Cup season.[12]
In 2019, Atherton suffered an injury to her Achilles tendon during a practice session, necessitating a prolonged period of recovery that sidelined her for the entirety of the 2020 season opener.[13]
In 2023, Atherton made a comeback to competitive riding at the UCI Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide, clinching the first-place victory.[14]
Atherton keeps the rainbow jerseys she won for being world champion in a birdcage, so that she can "take them out, touch them and remember those races.".[15]
Atherton gave birth to a daughter on 4 August 2021.[16]
British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH) – YouthBritish National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH) – Junior
European Mountain Bike Championships (DH) - JuniorEuropean Mountain Bike Championships (DH)UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (DH)
| 1990–1999 | |
|---|---|
| 2000–2009 |
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| 2010–2019 | |
| 2020–2029 | |
