This was the 7th appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics since mountain bike cycling was added to the programme in 1996.

A preview by Olympics.com noted the favourites as Rissveds, Kate Courtney of the United States (2018 World Champion and 2019 World Cup series winner), Jolanda Neff and Sina Frei of Switzerland (test event winner and runner-up), and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (2019 & 2020 World Champion).

[3] A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified cyclists in the cross-country.

Qualification is primarily through the UCI nation rankings, with 30 of the 38 quota places available through that pathway.

The mountain bike course is 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) long, with sudden changes in elevation, narrow dirt trails, and rocky sections.