The competition took place at the world class training facility created by AUS Cycling next to the indoor location called The Hot Box. Logan Martin’s multiple UCI BMX Park World Championship titles and first Olympic gold demonstrate that Australia is an important player in the sport, and the UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup showcased the discipline to the Australian public.
Qualifications: Chinese women impress
Fifty men and 20 women were looking for podium spots after a week of open practice on the permanent park where the athletes where able to acclimatise to the high temperatures.
The surprise in Women’s competition was the quality and strength of the Chinese delegation. With Continental, UCI World and Olympic Champions present, the Chinese riders from Beijing finished 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th, shooting four riders into the finals at the last UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup of the season. Jiaqi Sun and Sibei Sun qualified in first and second followed by Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Worthington (GBR) and Olympic bronze medalist Nikita Ducarroz (SUI).
In the Men’s category the UCI World Cup title was down to a battle between Anthony Jeanjean (FRA) and local hero and 2021 UCI BMX Park World overall winner Logan Martin. With a difference of only 20 points (1820 to 1800) the overall honours came down to the highest score between the two at the very last stop of the year, where Martin could benefit from home advantage. There’s mutual respect between the two; fist pumps were exchanged after good runs in training. During qualifying the pair ended up placing first and second with Martin getting to ride last in the semi-final. Martin also placed first in the semi, but Jeanjean did not make any mistakes to get 3rd in the last phase before the final.
Women’s final: Sun dominates
Jiaqi Sun ruled the Women Park finals. Her score of 92.20 points created a big gap ahead of the number two finisher, her compatriot, Z Hui Min. The dominance of the Chinese riders was surprising but their programme is certainly working and they look set to pose a threat in 2023.
The USA’s Hannah Roberts rode with a hurt shoulder but got a good first run in to finish on the podium in Australia and grab the overall UCI World Cup title once again.
Men’s final: Logan once again
If a scriptwriter imagined an intensely dramatic build-up for an end-of-season climax, could they even have come up with what happened at the final round in Australia? With multiple riders not completing the runs they wanted to do in the finals because of the complexity of the tricks, the Men’s final came down to the second runs which needed to be pulled.
Marcus Christopher (USA) had a lead after run one where he rode the park at high speed, pulling his tricks on every ramp. It set the bar high for the riders to follow. Japan’s Rimu Nakamura took the lead with a perfectly executed 2nd run. Anthony Jeanjean had to put his throttle wide open and held it there through to the very end of his run, which he completed with a double flair in the bowl corner. With it, the Frenchman assumed the lead, scoring 95.30 points.
Logan Martin was last to go. After an abandoned first run all the pressure was on the local rider. The crowd got behind him, and he managed to deal with the situation to deliver the tricks he wanted to perform. When the buzzer went off the wait for the final score began… and when 96.90 appeared on the scoreboard the crowd erupted. Their local hero had won the event and with it, the 2022 overall UCI World Cup title.