Olympics: China and US Battle for Leadership in BMX Women’s Freestyle

Chilean Maca Perez in the 2024 Olympic Games, July 30, 2024. Photo: X/ @vaqueroried

July 30, 2024 Hour: 11:05 am

The US rider Hannah Roberts, the five-time world champion, qualified with 91.45.

Reigning gold medal holder Charlotte Worthington was a surprise casualty in Tuesday’s qualifying round for the BMX Freestyle at the Paris Olympics, which looks to have set up a duel between Chinese and American riders for the medals.

Worthington, who won the gold medal in Tokyo when she produced a 360 degree back-flip in competition, was below her best and finished 11th of the 12 competitors in qualifying, after two clean, but uninspiring rounds.

Deng Yawen and Sun Jiaqi are clear favorites for a medal at the event held at Paris’ Place de la Concorde, with Deng giving an acrobatic display, of flips, turns, bunny hops and a 360 degree spin, on the 15 by 25-meter course, to earn a score of 91.03.

Put the pedal to the medal 🚲 @TeamUSA's Hannah Roberts and Perris Benegas are going to the Women's BMX Freestyle Finals tomorrow! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/eFJvLB8bKR
— Peacock (@peacock) July 30, 2024

She was three points ahead of Sun, whose total of 87.83 was 2.4 more than the American Perris Benegas in fourth.

The only rider to beat Deng and Sun was the U.S. rider, Hannah Roberts, with the five-times world champion and silver medalist from three years ago, laying down the gauntlet with a total of 91.45.

BMX Freestyle sees riders given a minute to perform tricks, such as flips, mid-air spins, handle-bar spins and others, on a series of obstacles, such as walls, quarter-pipes and spines (two quarter-pipes placed back to back) and is one of the most spectacular sports on display in Paris.