Saya Sakakibara became the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in BMX racing after dominating the women’s final at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines event.
The 24-year-old started off strong and was able to cruise to victory with a time of 34.231 seconds.
She was able to do so due to her superior gate speed. After winning the gold medal, Sakakibara cried upon reaching the finish line.
Her boyfriend, Romain Mahieu, who was also a bronze medalist, congratulated her. She said that she was still in a state of shock following the race.
When the gate was signaled, Sakakibara was already celebrating. She was in disbelief as she thought about her achievement.
She was also overwhelmed by her victory. Manon Veenstra of the Netherlands took silver, while Zoe Claessens of Switzerland earned the bronze.
During the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, she crashed out during the semi-finals of the women’s BMX competition.
She suffered from concussions and was taken away on a stretcher. The incident left her with doubts about her future in the sport.
It occurred just a couple of months after Kai, her brother, was forced to retire from competitive cycling due to a serious injury.
This week, she was able to put all of her Olympic woes behind her in Paris. Her brother was at the event as she secured her historic victory.
In honor of Kai, who she says is her biggest influence, she wore the number 77.
Tears began to flow as she talked about her family and the support she’s received during the past three years.
She said that everything that happened in the previous three years motivated her to excel.
She was able to visualize herself on the top step of the podium and holding the gold medal around her neck.
She said that she wanted to win the gold medal. She didn’t want to leave the event without giving it her all.
The moment left spectators and participants in tears as she made history.