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E-mail Xinhua, August 1, 2024
The men's and women's BMX racing begins on Thursday at the specially constructed course at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, with two days of guaranteed thrills and spills.
Perris Benegas of the United States competes during the women's park final of Cycling BMX Freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on July 31, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
The races see the riders launch themselves down a ramp along a course with bumps, jumps and banked corners in a test of skill and nerve, and the risk that a fall from the competitors can cause them to crash out.
"We know what we're signing up for," commented U.S. rider Alise Willoughby prior to the event.
"It just comes down to respect of the riders as well. You have to ride with integrity out there," she added, although she thinks the "Olympic carrot," means some riders may take more risks at the Games.
As a silver medalist in Rio 2016, she is one of the favorites for gold in Paris, along with Colombia's Mariana Pajon Londono, who won gold in 2012 and 2016 and silver in Tokyo, although she admits that elbow surgery after a fall could have limited her options.
"It can dislocate at any moment when I'm on the track, so I have to be careful," she explained.
Bethany Shriever of Britain is the defending gold medalist and World Champion in 2021 and 2023.
In the men's races, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Kimmann of the Netherlands have been kept out of Paris due to an infected heart muscle, meaning that home pair of Joris Daudet and Romain Mahieu, who are currently first and second in the rankings, will be medal favorites.
Colombia's Carlos Alberto Ramirez Yepes has to be taken seriously after winning bronze in Rio and Tokyo, along with Britain's Kye Whyte, who won silver in Tokyo.
