Camille Balanche

Hailing from the scenic mountain town of Chaux-de-Fond, Switzerland, Camille Balanche is a unique athlete in every sense of the word. Because really, how many mountain bike pros can claim to earn two national junior fencing championship titles and to represent their country as an ice hockey player at the 2010 Winter Olympics? Plus, Camille also took the time to earn her master’s degree in Sports Science from the elite HEFSM school in Switzerland before turning her full focus on downhill mountain bike racing. That focus has paid off: In 2019, she went from total unknown to global podium threat by claiming two back-to-back World Cup podiums in Val di Sole and Lenzerheide. In 2020, she upped the ante by winning the Swiss national championship and becoming the 2020 UCI Women’s Downhill World Champ, making history as the first Swiss rider to earn a Downhill MTB world title. Although she regrets not having discovered mountain bike racing earlier in her life, Camille Balanche has more than made up for the lost time. Now that she’s found her groove, this multi-talented athlete will continue to make her mark on pro mountain bike racing – and we can’t wait to see what’s next!