The young New Zealand mountain biker Anton Cooper has won the silver medal at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland.
The North Canterbury rider, in his first year in the under-19 junior ranks, produced a remarkable final lap to grab second place, pipping Costa Rica's Andrey Fonseca just before the finish chute.
It follows an outstanding run of form in his first international racing experience, winning two World Cup titles in the Czech Republic and Italy in the lead-up to the world championships in Champery.
The Christchurch Boys High School student, who turned 17 last month, found himself boxed in and back in 13th place after a long opening loop. He gradually fought his way to eighth after the next lap, then up to sixth before unleashing a huge effort over the last lap, out-sprinting Fonseca for second.
He was the fastest rider on the course over the final lap, finishing 1m 18s down on runaway winner Victor Koretzky of France who was beaten by the young kiwi at the World Cup in the Czech Republic last month.
