Cairns : Nino Schurter led a Swiss domination of all cross country categories at the mountain bike world championships in Australia on Saturday.
Schurter defended his title in the Elite men's race, Jolanda Neff took the Elite women's title and Sina Frei won the Under-23 women's competition.
The Swiss also won the team relay on the opening day to underline their depth of talent across all cross country disciplines in Cairns.
Schurter was the overwhelming favourite heading into Saturday's Elite race after dominating the World Cup this season winning all six rounds.
The race quickly became a contest between Schurter and 2012 Olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic.
It wasn't until the final climb on the last lap, when Schurter attacked and Kulhavy made a mistake in a corner, that the Swiss rider was finally able to get away, hanging on to win by seven seconds.
Kulhavy finally dropped another Swiss Thomas Litscher in the final kilometre to take silver.
"It was a really tough one," Schurter said. "Jaroslav was super strong today.
"I was lucky Thomas was always with us and I was able to leave him the work of leading, and luckily Jaroslav wasn't there at the finish.
"It has been an incredible year. I've won seven (six World Cups and the world title). This year it all came together."
Neff and Britain's Annie Last set the pace in the women's Elite and dropped everyone else by the end of the first lap and rode together until the fourth lap.
Neff attacked, quickly opening a 22-second gap and by the penultimate fifth lap had opened a gap of up to two minutes and Neff was able to coast to her first Elite title.
Last took the silver medal, while Pauline Ferrand Prevot of France, the 2015 world champion, claimed bronze.
"I just wanted to win it so much," Neff said. "The last three years I couldn't win the World Champs, it has been three years since my last win (as an Under-23).
"Coming into this race I wanted to win it so badly, I just wanted to go at every chance I could get. I just pushed from start to finish. I am over the moon. I am so happy."
