First-time Olympians from Argentina and China stole the show in the BMX Freestyle finals, with Argentina’s Jose Torres Gil and China’s Deng Yawen taking home gold medals. Torres Gil, 29, impressed with high-flying and fast-paced tricks, scoring 94.82 to claim the top spot. Meanwhile, Deng, 18, wowed the judges with her trademark “double tailwhip” in her first run, earning a score of 92.60 and securing the women’s gold.
Both athletes expressed their emotions about their wins, with Torres Gil admitting it was hard to contain his feelings and Deng gaining confidence after her first run. Deng’s coach, Daniel Dhers, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, trained both Chinese riders in the US.
The event saw multiple crashes, impacting some of the favorites like Logan Martin of Australia and US rider Hannah Roberts. Despite the risks taken by competitors, smooth and safe runs ultimately led to gold medals for Torres Gil and Deng.
Other notable performances include Great Britain’s Kieran Reilly winning silver in his Olympic debut and France’s Anthony Jeanjean securing bronze after a disappointing first run. Jeanjean expressed his disappointment but also acknowledged the unique experience of competing at the Olympics in front of a home crowd.
Overall, the BMX Freestyle finals in Paris showcased the talents of first-time Olympians and highlighted the unpredictable nature of the sport, with unexpected results and emotional moments for both winners and competitors.
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