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Bethany Shriever won Britain’s first BMX gold medal at the Olympic Games on Friday, ending a long and difficult journey on and off the track.
A series of injuries, UK Sport funding withdrawals, family “lifetime holiday” cancellations, and blockade training attempts were all erased after a 22-year-old woman from Leytonstone, east London, won her. .. Race in Tokyo.
After further tension during the 45-minute rain delay before the semi-finals, Schreiber postponed Colombian defending champion Maria Napahon in a desperate finish to win the gold medal in the final.
She fell to the truck with a mixture of victory and relief and was lifted by her delighted teammate Key White. The 21-year-old won the UK’s first BMX racing Olympic medal, which won a silver medal at his event a few minutes ago.
Schreiber won the silver and bronze medals at Duncan Scott and Luke Greenbank’s pool, and after winning the men’s eight bronze medal, awarded Britain the sixth gold medal.
Her event was seen by a delighted family at Essex’s home. She was able to look back on the long, bumpy ride of the gold medalist to Tokyo after riding her first BMX bike at the age of eight after a nerve-wracking race.
“We were yelling on TV,’Keep pedaling!’ Shriver’s mother Kate, who watched the race with her husband Paul, sons Noah and Luke, and rider partner Brinley, said.
“It’s pretty tight, but it’s just amazing she did it. We’re all over the moon. She’s a very nice, compassionate, and determined person. She’s very I got a lot of injuries — it’s a very dangerous sport — so she really deserves this.
“We knew she was relaxed and happy. She seemed to be really in harmony with riding and loved the track. But with BMX it’s a game for everyone. , Anything can happen.
“It was a very long night. The semi-finals all got up at 2am and there was a rain delay, but I’m very proud of Beth and I’m very happy with her.”
Kate Schreiber said her daughter started at a local event from an early age and participated in BMX races following national competitions and European championships.
“We took her to Manchester every other week after she became a young and talented team,” she told PA news agency.
Injuries were scattered on the road to becoming an Olympic athlete. She broke her wrist three times and suffered a tibia and fibula fracture. Therefore, it was necessary to insert a metal plate into the leg. This procedure had to be repeated about 18 months after the next collision.
“She also has hypermobility, so her joints dislocate easily. Not so long ago, as she dislocated her shoulders and required fairly extensive surgery earlier this year. It was, “her mother added.
Schreiber was previously the standard-bearer of women’s BMX in the UK, but was a junior world champion in 2017, but following the Rio Olympics UK Sport decided to fund only male BMX riders. When she did, her progress receded.
“She moved home and worked part-time. We supported her for several years and took her to all World Cups and all,” Shriver said.
When British Cycling was funded, her daughter’s plight was eventually alleviated, but the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic was another blow.
“She moved to Manchester just before COVID two years ago, but had to go home for about seven months after the blockade began,” said her husband, who temporarily worked for a pandemic. Office manager Shriver, who was absent, said.
“British Cycling sent weights and gym equipment to train at home. She had really good work ethics in training, worked really hard in the blockade, and really didn’t stop.
“The difficult part was that I hadn’t raced for 18 months. It was hard because I didn’t know where I was compared to other riders.
“There wasn’t a proper race until they went to Verona, Italy last month, and at least it gave her confidence.
“The only downside was that I was planning a big family holiday in Tokyo, but it had to be abolished. It’s really sad not to be with her, but at least technology has contacted me. It helps to keep up. “
Meanwhile, Scottish Duncan Scott won Team GB’s sixth swimming medal. It was one of the best swimming medals in the pool since London in 1908 and finished second in the men’s 200m individual medley final. It happened after Cumbria’s Luke Greenbank won the bronze medal in a 200-meter backstroke.
However, news from the Sea Forest Waterway encouraged Team GB to finish rowing regatta with one bronze and one silver, in contrast to the three gold and two silver of the 2016 Rio game. I couldn’t.
Eight British men won the bronze medal on the final day of regatta behind New Zealand and Germany. Following the silver medal of the four-boy skull team, Welsh single scull Vicky Thornley finished fourth on Friday.
Trevor Martialcia
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