Great Britain Cycling Team’s Bethany Shriever was crowned junior women’s world champion with a dramatic late burst to the line at the UCI BMX World Championships.
The 18-year-old came back in the dying metres to snatch the rainbow jersey away from Australian Saya Sakakibara in Rock Hill, USA.
After the hurt of crashing out in the final in Colombia in 2016, it was a deserved triumph for Shriever, who won all five races on her to way to her final conquest.
"I’ve never achieved anything like this in my whole BMX career."
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) July 30, 2017
World champion @bethanyshriever #BMXWorlds pic.twitter.com/WwO3qXxvOH
“It’s ranked number one. I’ve never achieved anything like this in my whole BMX career," Shriever said.
"Words can’t describe it. I’m so happy, I’ve done it - there’s so much relief now. I’m happy, very happy.”
Comeback for rainbow
Sakakibara had started superbly from gate one leaving Shriever with work to do to shut down the gap.
By the third straight of four Shriever was closing in though it seemed the Briton would run out of track.
.@bethanyshriever takes the win on the line! She's our new Women's junior World Champ! #BMXWorlds pic.twitter.com/bM31roPl85
— UCI BMX Supercross (@UCI_BMX_SX) July 30, 2017
But Shriever had other ideas and a stunning burst in the final 100m saw her edge out Sakakibara on the line.
European champion Blaine Ridge-Davis nearly joined her teammate in the junior women's final, but seventh in the semi-final, after showing good form in the earlier rounds, was not enough.
Unlucky Kye
Kye Whyte won all four races in his junior men’s competition before a crash in the semi-final denied the impressive 18-year-old a shot at a rainbow jersey.
Whyte had been in a class of his own in the motos - he won by a distance - before holding off the competition to keep his perfect record going in the quarter-final.
But after over-jumping on the opening straight, Whyte crashed the floor and despite getting back on his bike, crossed the line sixth with only the top four making the final.
Evans makes elite men’s semi-finals
Kyle Evans impressed to reach the elite men’s semi-finals but a seventh place finish saw him exit the competition at the final 16 stage.
The Olympian won two motos in his heat on his way to the 1/8 finals, where another victory followed by third in the quarter-finals put Evans on the verge on the final.
But a heat that included would-be champion Corben Sharrah and Sylvain Andre saw Evans miss out on the required top-four spot.
Tre Whyte had looked in determined form on his way to the quarter-finals, but found himself caught behind a crash on the second straight, losing his speed and ending his championships.
