Spin to win
Great Britain’s Charlotte Worthington nails her Olympic gold medal-winning jump in her second round ride at the Ariake sports park in Tokyo. Worthington’s BMX freestyle victory earned GB its third cycling gold before the track racing had even started. Her success is a product of well-placed funding. A full-time chef a few years ago, Worthington benefited not only from a funded place on the British team, she had use of a replica track built in a warehouse in Telford courtesy of multiple funding partners.
As Beth Shriever crossed the line to win BMX gold in Tokyo it marked not just the end of a rollercoaster five years for her personally but a vindication of a new broader direction that has been taken at British Cycling in the last four years.
Shriever’s victory had been preceded by a silver medal for Kye Whyte on the same course, just days after Tom Pidcock claimed mountain bike gold. It would be followed two days later by Charlotte Worthington winning gold in the BMX freestyle park and Declan Brooks claiming bronze in the men’s event. Britain has never won an Olympic medal in mountain biking or BMX since their introduction in 1996 and 2008 respectively.
No story demonstrates that transition like Shriever’s. Subsistence funding for the women’s BMX programme that she was on was cut by UK Sport after 2016 was the latest in multiple medal-less cycles. While she continued to receive BC coaching, travel and support at races, she didn’t have the grant to live off anymore and went to work as a teaching assistant and crowdfunded to keep her BMX dream alive.
Bu hikaye CYCLING WEEKLY dergisinin August 05, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye CYCLING WEEKLY dergisinin August 05, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
CLASSIC BIKE COLNAGO SUPER
A trailblazing bike immortalised by Merckx and Saronni
"Strava activities are the only way I know some of my friends are still alive"
...or that Bernard is doing his weekly shop
AN EXPERT'S TAKE ON... SADDLE SELECTION
Crucial advice to guide your next purchase
JUST A NUMB#R?
Approaching a landmark birthday, Charlie Graham-Dixon explores how ageing affects cycling performance and what can be done to stay ahead of the curve
RURAL PERIL
More UK cyclists are killed on rural lanes than on busy city streets. Rob Kemp investigates why and what can be done to keep us safe while riding in the countryside
A BLESSED RIDE THROUGH THE FOREST OF BOWLAND
Forgoing cloak, cassock and cross, Trevor Ward goes in search of the holy roads that helped make a Tour winner
Dame Sarah Storey claims road and 19th gold double
More success for Team GB's Paralympians in Paris, but Storey slams women's time trial course
Roglič matches Vuelta win record
Slovenian takes fourth Tour of Spain title after hunting down O'Connor's lead, writes Adam Becket
Williams crowned Tour of Britain champion
Welshman leads home resurgence at the stage race to crown an Israel-Premier Tech clean sweep, reports Tom Davidson in Felixstowe
CLASSIC BIKE CLAUD BUTLER OLYMPIC ROAD
Iconic British brand's Holdsworth-era road bike