Jack Ward has a new career-best UCI Mountain Bike World Championships result after finishing 13th in the Under-23 Cross-country Olympic (XCO) in Val di Sole, Italy.
Australia's elite national champion found himself just outside the top-10 bubble from a starting position of 20th on the start loop.
Ward fluctuated from as high as 12th to 17th over the six laps and finished strongly, three minutes and 19 seconds down on new U23 world champion Nael Rouffiac from France.
"I'm pretty happy to get a good race in with a new best result, Although always searching for a little bit more, always next year," Ward said.
"My race went pretty smoothly, and I tried to manage my effort by not going too deep early on, slid back a bit in the middle laps but then managed to finish strong and get those places back.
The atmosphere was absolutely insane; I think my ears are still ringing from the crowds up at the top section which was just a wall of yelling and chainsaws."
In the elite women, Rebecca Henderson's final race at MTB Worlds ended in 31st.
The four-time Olympian and living legend of Australian mountain biking announced on her social media that 2026 would be her last season on the international XC circuit in mid-August.
"Very tough way to do my final World Champs," she said on her Instagram.
"Fitting perhaps.
"There truly are no gifts in this sport and the rewards don't always come - but being a part of it for all of these years has been the real gift."
The third ARA Australian Cycling Team member racing on the final day in Val di Sole was Harry Doye in U23 men, who finished 65th.
Feature picture: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com