Men’s Freestyle
In the seeding rounds, Logan Martin (Australia) showed his class, scoring over 90 on both runs, with no one else managing it at all. Behind him were Rim Nakamura (Japan) and Daniel Dhers (Venezuela). In the final, Declan Brooks (Great Britain) was the first to lay down a big score, with an 89.40. Dhers went first with a 90.10. Martin would take his place in first with a 93.30. On the second run, Brooks improved his score to 90.80 before Kenneth Tencio Esquivel (Costa Rica) went into the bronze position with a 90.50. Dhers would improve on his opening round, scoring 92.05. Nakamura could not beat those scores disappointing the home fans.
🥇Logan Martin 🇦🇺
🥈Daniel Dhers 🇻🇪
🥉Declan Brooks 🇬🇧
Men’s Race
Sylvain Andre (France) took the first quarter-final with three wins ahead of Kye Whyte (Great Britain). Niek Kimmann (Netherlands) won the second quarter-final, despite not winning all the races, but he did become the first man under 40 seconds. Following him in the following heat under 40 seconds was Joris Daudet (France) who won all three of his races. Connor Fields (United States) won his quarter-final despite also not winning all the races. In semi-final A, Romain Mahieu (France) won the first race, ahead of Andre. Fields took race two from Mahieu. A massive crash in the third heat saw Mahieu take the race win but Fields and Andre were involved in a big crash. Despite this, Fields qualified in fourth to make the final but questions surrounded his ability to ride the final as he left on a stretcher. In semi-final B, Kimmann edged Alfredo Campo (Ecuador) in the first race. Daudet (France) won in the second heat with Campo again in second. Whyte edged Kimmann to take the third heat and ensure qualification to the final. As suspected Fields did not take place in the final. It was Whyte and Kimmann who set off fastest. Kimmann never really looked back and although Whyte closed on the final straight, it was too late. Daudet was looking clear in third but crashed going round the final corner leaving Carlos Ramirez (Colombia) in bronze medal position.
🥇Niek Kimmann 🇳🇱
🥈Kye White 🇬🇧
🥉Carlos Ramirez 🇨🇴
Women’s Freestyle
The women’s event seemed closer. In the qualification stage, Hannah Roberts (United States) and Perris Benegas (United States) led, separated by 1.20. Nikita Ducarroz (Switzerland) edged Charlotte Worthington (Great Britain) to third. In the final Natalya Diehm (Australia) was first to set a score with a serious chance, scoring 86.00. Ducarroz went into first place with an 89.20 but Roberts ended round one setting the target with a 96.10. Worthington became the first woman to land a 360 backflip in competition scoring a 97.50! Benegas tried to get into a medal position with her second run but could only score 88.50 leaving it coming down to Hannah Roberts. The run went wrong straight away and Roberts pulled out, leaving Worthington as the Olympic champion.
🥇Charlotte Worthington 🇬🇧
🥈Hannah Roberts 🇺🇸
🥉Nikita Ducarroz 🇨🇭
Women’s Race
Mariana Pajon (Colombia) started well looking for a third gold medal, winning her quarter-final. Felicia Standil (United States) was the first woman under 45 seconds but would not win the quarter-final as Laura Smulders (Netherlands) took the other two races. Beth Shriever (Great Britain) went under 45 seconds and won the quarter-final with two race wins. The final quarter was the slowest but Alise Willoughby (United States) won all three races. Pajon won the first heat of the first semi ahead of Felicia Stancil (United States). Saya Sakakibara (Australia) took first in the second heat ahead of Pajon. Stancil won the third heat with Sakakibara and Willoughby crashing, meaning the pair did not qualify for the final. Shriever took a comfortable win in a scrappy first heat littered with crashes ahead of Simone Christensen (Denmark). The second heat had no accidents but Shriever won ahead of Lauren Reynolds (Australia). Once again the British rider took the victory. As she had in the semi-final, she took a lead at the first corner and never relinquished it despite the advances of Pajon.
🥇Beth Shriever 🇬🇧
🥈Mariana Pajon 🇨🇴
🥉Merel Smulders 🇳🇱
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