"People have been saying it and we definitely want to hold a World Cup in Dunedin," Mountain Biking Otago president Hamish Seaton said.
"[That's] our long-term goal."
Seaton had praise from Australians, French Polynesians and New Zealanders ringing in his ears after the weekend's Oceania championships.
"We know we have got good tracks but to have Australians and others come here and rave about our tracks means a lot," Seaton said.
"It puts us up on the international level and is great vindication of the work the guys have been doing.
"Dunedin has the tracks. The next step is to get the other facilities that are needed."
More parking, toilets and catering facilities would be needed for the thousands of people that attended a World Cup, Seaton said.
It has taken 15 years for the tracks to evolve.
The work has been done by voluntary labour.
"Every time we have a big race in the city, everyone gets enthusiastic and does heaps of work," Seaton said.
Visiting competitors and officials praised the Signal Hill downhill and Forrester Park cross-country courses.
Brisbane-based Randal Huntington, winner of the masters 2 downhill gold medal, praised the course on Signal Hill and urged administrators to bid for a World Cup in Dunedin.
Cameron Cole, of Christchurch, winner of the elite men's downhill, said the course was similar in difficulty to what he had experienced in Europe.
"It is faster than other courses in Australia and New Zealand and has difficult rocky sections, sharp corners and difficult jumps," Cole said.
"It is good for us to have a course like this in New Zealand to test our form before we travel overseas."
Justin Leov, of Dunedin, ranked sixth in the world, said the rock garden at the top of the course was world-class.
"We have a venue that would be ideal to hold a World Cup because it is a technical course and would test the riders in every aspect of downhill racing," Leov said.
The track on Signal Hill was reformed after the fire that ravaged the forest in 2006.
It now contains tight technical turns and jumps and a tricky rockery section at the top of the hill.
About 2000 spectators lined the course for the spectacular downhill on Sunday.
It was the biggest crowd to watch a mountain bike event in Dunedin.
"It's now become a spectator course," Seaton said.
"They can sit on the banks and see a quarter of the course.
"We've got spectacular jumps and corners on the lower slopes and its great for spectators."
