Australia’s Saya Sakakibara reigned supreme in the women’s BMX racing final, leading from the drop of the gate to claim the gold medal at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Stadium on 2 August.
The 24-year-old found space on the inside of the track, peddling clear of the rest of the field by the first turn. Once she was in the lead, she never looked back.
“I didn’t want to hesitate at all,” said the newly crowned Olympic champion. “I know how it feels to hesitate, so I was like, ‘I’m just going to go’.”
She peddled like a woman possessed, lapping the track in 34.231 seconds. It was a near-perfect run for Sakakibara, who nailed every jump and pumped over every bump flawlessly.
“It’s so crazy,” said Sakakibara. “I wanted this, I’ve earned this. I envisioned me on the podium, I envisioned winning from lane one, I envisioned just committing 100 per cent and not leaving anything behind. I wanted to make myself proud and I just went for it.”
She had the crowd on their feet as she crossed the finish line, screaming with delight. She was met at the finish by her partner, Romain Mahieu, who won a bronze medal in the men’s race only minutes earlier.
“I didn’t even have time to realise what I did,” said Mahieu. “And she went and she won gold. I think I’m more proud of her than what I did. I don’t know why, but that’s what I feel now because she has been through a lot of crap. It has been hard for her – and it’s just everything that she deserves.”
Indeed, Sakakibara’s journey to winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 was not a glamorous one. She overcame brain injury, illness and a crash that nearly killed her brother to stand on the podium.
“I’m just grateful,” said Sakakibara. “Sport gives you so many experiences that make you grow so much because you go into events feeling hopeful and you don’t always get what you want, and those are the moments where you grow the most.”
She leaves Paris 2024 with a fitting reward for all her hardships, sacrifices and personal growth.
Source link : https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-cycling-team-australia-s-saya-sakakibara-pumps-and-jumps-to-gold-in-women-s-bmx-racing
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Publish date : 2024-08-02 20:20:02
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