Inverness native Savilia Blunk beat two thirds of the field in the women’s cross-country mountain bike race on Sunday but did not bring home a medal in her first trip to the Olympic Games. Her 12th-place finish was more than enough for her West Marin fans, who hauled themselves out of bed before 5 a.m. on Sunday to watch the race. “Just getting to the Olympics is huge,” said Julia Lopez, who has known Savilia since she was a little girl. “You’ve got to be fantastic just to get there, and then, to finish in the top third—it’s incredible.” Ms. Blunk, who began her cycling career on the trails of West Marin, was ranked fifth in the world heading into the competition, one spot ahead of the other rider on the two-woman U.S. team, Haley Batten of Park City, Utah, who took home the silver medal despite having to replace a flat tire. Leading from start to finish was Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of France, who was cheered on by boisterous, flag-waving French fans. Ms. Blunk started the race in the front row thanks to her high international ranking, but she fell to the middle of the pack after the second lap. By the time she completed the seven laps around the roughly 2.5-mile course, her grit had powered her past four other cyclists to finish toward the front of the 36-woman field. She finished nearly six minutes behind Ferrand-Prévot, with a time of 1 hour, 31 minutes and 52 seconds. Still just 25 years old and the reigning United States champion, Ms. Blunk could well compete again at the 2028 games in Los Angeles. If she does, Ms. Lopez will be watching. “I’m super proud to know her,” Ms. Lopez said. “She’s a West Marin superstar. She’s a West Marin rockstar.”