USA Cycling on Friday announced the 37 remaining athletes nominated to represent the United States at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships July 15-22 in Val di Sole, Italy.

With only a little more than two months remaining until the Olympic Games in Beijing, American cross country athletes will square off against fellow hopefuls from across the globe in the only Olympic discipline of off-road cycling. Six men and seven women have been nominated to the elite cross country squad.

Adam Craig received the only automatic nomination to the men's team as a top-15 ranked American male in the UCI rankings. He is joined by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Todd Wells, Jeremiah Bishop, Michael Broderick and Sam Schultz, who all received discretionary nominations.

On the women's side, Georgia Gould and Mary McConneloug were automatically nominated - Gould by virtue of her podium performances at UCI World Cup events this year in Houffalize and Madrid and McConneloug due to her eighth-place UCI ranking. Heather Irmiger, Willow Koerber, Sue Haywood, Lea Davison and Kelli Emmett all received discretionary nominations based upon international results.

In the gravity events, Kyle Strait, J.D. Swanguen, Duncan Riffle, Cole Bangert, Cody Warren, Kain Leonard and Lars Steinberg received discretionary nominations to the elite men's downhill team. As the winner of the UCI downhill contest at the Chile Challenge in Angel Fire, N.M., Melissa Buhl received the only automatic nomination to the elite women's downhill squad. Kathy Pruitt will join her as a discretionary selection.

Due to their medal performances at the 2007 world championships, Brian Lopes and Buhl both received automatic nominations to the elite men's and women's 4-cross teams. Ross Milan, Mike Haderer, Erik Nelson and Blake Carney will join Lopes on the men's 4-cross squad as discretionary selections. Neven Steinmetz will join Buhl on the women's team as a discretionary pick. Jessica Vogt received a discretionary selection, but declined her nomination.

Kevin Aiello, Naish Ulmer, Joseph Schusler, Taylor Borucki, Dustin Belcher, Graeme Pitts and Geoffrey Ulmer were also named to the junior men's downhill squad.

Twelve junior and U23 cross country athletes were previously named to the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship squad that will represent the United States. Click here for more information on those athletes.

2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
Val di Sole, Italy
July 15-22, 2008
U.S. Team Nominations:
Elite Men's Cross Country
Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.)
Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.)
Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.)
Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass.)
Sam Schultz (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Elite Women's Cross Country
Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.)
Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho)
Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C.)
Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.)
Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.)
Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt.)
Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Elite Men's Downhill
Kyle Strait (Riverside, Calif.)
J.D. Swanguen (San Diego, Calif.)
Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Cole Bangert (Twin Lakes, Colo.)
Cody Warren (El Cajon, Calif.)
Kain Leonard (Gunnison, Colo.)
Lars Steinberg (Gunnison, Colo.)

Elite Women's Downhill
Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.)
Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.)

Elite Men's 4-Cross
Brian Lopes (San Clemente, Calif.)
Ross Milan (Golden, Colo.)
Mike Haderer (Concord, Calif.)
Erik Nelson (Gilbert, Ariz.)
Blake Carney (Camarillo, Calif.)

Elite Women's 4-Cross
Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.)
Neven Steinmetz (Boulder. Colo.)
Jessica Vogt (Boulder, Colo.)*

Junior Men's Downhill
Kevin Aiello (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
Naish Ulmer (Park City, Utah)
Joseph Schusler (Boulder, Colo.)
Taylor Borucki (Durango, Colo.)
Dustin Belcher (Carbondale, Colo.)
Graeme Pitts (Nevada City, Calif.)
Geoffrey Ulmer (Troy, N.Y.)

*declined nomination