Park City native Haley Batten finished her 2026 mountain bike World Cup season with a sixth-place cross-country result at Soldier Hollow, a highlight of a difficult year for the Olympic silver medalist.

The numbers don't tell the whole story.

Batten, 28, returned to a fuller international schedule after racing sparingly in 2025 because of a family health situation, according to an August interview with TownLift. The limited racing left her with fewer UCI ranking points and tougher starting positions.

Batten also raced this season after losing her mother to cancer last fall, according to the Park Record's Oct. 23 season recap.

"This was the first year that I've been racing without having my mom in my life," Batten told the Park Record. "Which was pretty tough."

Batten said the experience affected her ability to manage the physical and mental demands of competition.

Her 2026 race results include World Cup starts at Saalfelden-Leogang, Lenzerheide, La Thuile, Pal Arinsal, Les Gets and Soldier Hollow.

Her best World Cup cross-country finish came at Soldier Hollow in Midway on Sept. 20. She placed sixth in 1 hour, 17 minutes, 8 seconds, finishing 1 minute, 17 seconds behind race winner Martina Berta of Italy.

Batten also finished 14th in short track at Soldier Hollow. The results capped a weekend of international racing close to the trails and facilities where she trained as a young athlete.

The October World Cup finale took place at Lake Placid, New York, but Batten did not start either race. Her last competitive World Cup appearance was at Soldier Hollow.

A home World Cup

The Soldier Hollow event carried personal weight. It brought the mountain bike World Cup circuit to a venue where Batten had trained and competed in Nordic skiing while growing up in Park City.

She told TownLift before the event that racing near home would bring together her international cycling career and the community where she discovered the sport.

Her sixth-place result came before a crowd that included friends and family. TownLift's Sept. 23 report documented the finish and her appreciation for the opportunity to compete in Utah.

Batten races for Specialized Factory Racing. She grew up in Park City, joined the Park City High School mountain bike program and competed in Nordic skiing before pursuing cycling professionally.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won silver in women's cross-country mountain biking, the best Olympic mountain bike result by an American.

Batten has identified the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a long-term goal. She discussed building toward another Olympic appearance during her August interview with TownLift.

The next Olympic cycle will require continued international competition, while her Soldier Hollow finish provides a result to build on after a challenging season.