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Great Britain’s Shanaze Reade and Liam Phillips began their Olympic BMX campaigns with the solid runs in the seeding sessions, finishing fifth and twelfth respectively, their timed runs determining their gridding in the subsequent knockout rounds.
Shanaze Reade qualified fifth in the initial seeding runs of the women’s BMX in front of 7000 spectators at the stunning BMX venue. Reade was third rider to lay down a seeding time, producing a smooth and controlled 39.368.
As predicted, world TT champ, Australia’s Caroline Buchanan was on hot form, seeding fastest on 38.434 but 2012 world champion Magalie Pottier of France could only manage seventh position with a 39.778.
The seeding run saw the first crash of the BMX events, as Brooke Crain of the USA crashed in the final straight; the young American in at short notice as replacement for Arielle Martin who was out through serious injury at Chula Vista.
The seeding runs will determine the draw for semi finals which will take place on Friday 10 August.
Moving into the men’s seeding and it was Kirk Pickard of New Zealand who posted the first benchmark time of 39.057, which proved tough to beat until Great Britain’s Liam Phillips, backed by massive crowd support, produced a 38.719 and took the top spot with 25 riders still to go.
Phillips’ time stood until Quentin Caleyron of France shaved just under a tenth of second off the Briton’s time, posting a 38.637 before Twan van Gendt of the Netherlands raised the bar; 38.339 in a deceptively smooth display.
The seeding runs were ordered by UCI ranking with the highest ranked rider going last and true to form it wasn’t long before van Gendt’s time tumbled. However before it did Latvian Edzus Treimanis hit the deck at full speed but thankfully walked away without assistance.
It was van Gendt’s team mate Raymon van der Biezen who was to depose him, the Netherlands rider the only one to go sub 38 seconds with a storming 37.779. Reigning Olympic champion Maris Strombergs of Latvia was next but surprised many, only managing seventh, slotting in just ahead of Phillips.
USA’s Connor Fields, hot favourite for a medal was the penultimate rider but could only manage fourth while world champion Sam Willoughby of Australia completed the seeding slotting into sixth.
Liam Phillip’s time was eventually good enough for 12th place, the men’s seeding run is used to determine the draw and grid positions for tomorrow’s quarter finals.
After the qualifying, Phillips said: "This is what I wanted. I like riding on the track, but it didn't float my boat.
"This is where I belong. Whatever happens in terms of results, I'm here to enjoy it and to have 6,000 people that have paid to come and watch a sport that I've done since I was five years old is mind-blowing. It's a good start, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'm in good shape. The race to the first turn, that's the most important part and that part of my lap's better than it ever has been, even at the world champs.
"It's pretty scary to come off the back of an injury and be going faster than you were at the world champs 10 weeks' ago.
"That's certainly the case in my book, but in BMX anything can happen, it'll be a lottery."
Reade, who qualified fifth, added: “It felt quite good out there. The first race is always going to be a bit rusty.
"It was amazing to compete in front of a home crowd. I have been sitting around and watching Olympic titles being won and have just wanted to get out there and compete myself."
Results
Women's Seeding
1 BUCHANAN Caroline 38.434
2 WALKER Sarah 38.644
3 PAJON Mariana 38.787
4 le CORGUILLE Laetitia 38.976
5 READE Shanaze 39.368
6 SMULDERS Laura 39.42
7 POTTIER Magalie 39.778
8 POST Alise 39.89
9 REYNOLDS Lauren 40.045
10 HLADIKOVA Aneta 40.846
11 LABOUNKOVA Romana 41.096
12 HERNANDEZ Stefany 41.253
13 ALEKSEJEVA Sandra 41.752
14 RIMSAITE Vilma 42.162
15 STEIN Squel 42.995
16 CRAIN Brooke DNF
Men's Seeding
1 van der BIEZEN Raymon 37.779
2 DAUDET Joris 38.221
3 van GENDT Twan 38.339
4 FIELDS Connor 38.431
5 JIMENEZ CAICEDO Andres Eduardo 38.445
6 WILLOUGHBY Sam 38.496
7 LONG Nicholas 38.601
8 REZENDE Renato 38.628
9 CALEYRON Quentin 38.637
10 WILLERS Marc 38.687
11 STROMBERGS Maris 38.697
12 PHILLIPS Liam 38.719
13 VEIDE Rihards 38.753
14 OQUENDO ZABALA Carlos Mario 38.775
15 HERMAN David 38.955
16 PICKARD Kurt 39.057
17 YOUNG Khalen 39.304
18 de VECCHI Manuel 39.385
19 BRETHAUER Luis 39.431
20 NYHAUG Tory 39.515
21 van GORKOM Jelle 39.529
22 KIRKHAM Brian 39.61
23 RINDERKNECHT Roger 39.618
24 FALLA BUCHELY Emilio Andres 39.737
25 THERKILDSEN Morten 39.738
26 PIZARRO Ernesto 39.765
27 DUBOIS Arnaud 39.772
28 MOO CAILLE Moana 40.015
29 BAIER Maik 40.231
30 NHLAPO Sifiso 40.788
31 CALUAG Daniel 40.9
32 TREIMANIS Edzus DNF
Heat 1
1 Netherlands van der BIEZEN Raymon
2 Brazil REZENDE Renato
3 France CALEYRON Quentin
4 New Zealand PICKARD Kurt
5 Australia YOUNG Khalen
6 Ecuador FALLA BUCHELY Emilio Andres
7 Denmark THERKILDSEN Morten
8 Latvia TREIMANIS Edzus
Heat 2
1 United States of America FIELDS Connor
2 Colombia JIMENEZ CAICEDO Andres Eduardo
3 Great Britain PHILLIPS Liam
4 Latvia VEIDE Rihards
5 Canada NYHAUG Tory
6 Netherlands van GORKOM Jelle
7 France MOO CAILLE Moana
8 Germany BAIER Maik
Heat 3
1 France DAUDET Joris
2 United States of America LONG Nicholas
3 New Zealand WILLERS Marc
4 United States of America HERMAN David
5 Italy de VECCHI Manuel
6 Switzerland RINDERKNECHT Roger
7 Argentina PIZARRO Ernesto
8 Philippines CALUAG Daniel
Heat 4
1 Netherlands van GENDT Twan
2 Australia WILLOUGHBY Sam
3 Latvia STROMBERGS Maris
4 Colombia OQUENDO ZABALA Carlos Mario
5 Germany BRETHAUER Luis
6 Australia KIRKHAM Brian
7 Belgium DUBOIS Arnaud
8 South Africa NHLAPO Sifiso
Women's semi-final heats
Heat 1
1 Australia BUCHANAN Caroline
2 France le CORGUILLE Laetitia
3 Great Britain READE Shanaze
4 United States of America POST Alise
5 Australia REYNOLDS Lauren
6 Venezuela HERNANDEZ Stefany
7 Latvia ALEKSEJEVA Sandra
8 United States of America CRAIN Brooke
Heat 2
1 New Zealand WALKER Sarah
2 Colombia PAJON Mariana
3 Netherlands SMULDERS Laura
4 France POTTIER Magalie
5 Czech Republic HLADIKOVA Aneta
6 Czech Republic LABOUNKOVA Romana
7 Lithuania RIMSAITE Vilma
8 Brazil STEIN Squel
