Tokyo Olympics: Bethany Shriever wins GOLD in the BMX finals to cap off a memorable day for Team GB
BMX brilliance! Bethany Shriever wins GOLD in the racing finals as Team GB capture first medals in the sport after Kye Whyte had earlier earned a silver
Beth Shriever and Kye Whyte have raced to BMX gold and silver on an incredible day at the track for Team GB.
The Essex and Peckham riders made history – picking up the country’s first ever medals in the discipline.
Shriever, 22, obliterated her rivals, winning all three of her heats and the final itself.
Bethany Shriever pulled off a stunning win in the BMX racing to claim gold for Team GB
She went head to head with Colombia’s Mariana Pajon and pulled off an upset to prevail
Shriever had collapsed to the ground after her win, crying: ‘I can’t feel my legs’
Whyte, 20, came close to matching her, finishing just behind his Dutch rival.
‘I’m in shock,’ said a breathless Shriever, who had collapsed to the ground after her achievement, crying: ‘I can’t feel my legs.’
‘To even be here is an achievement in itself. To make the final is an achievement in itself. To win a medal – honestly I’m so over the moon. It just means so much.
‘I managed to hold on and take the win. It’s crazy. I just f***** dug in. I had nothing left at the end. This is every athlete’s dream and I’ve just done it. It’s just crazy.’
She followed compatriot Kye Whyte, who had landed silver in the men’s event moments earlier
Shriever said she was forced to overcome her raw emotion to focus on her own race after watching Whyte claim a medal
The victory caps a rollercoaster journey for Shriever, who left the GB setup to go solo in 2019 and aimed to raise £50,000 via crowdfunding to enable her to compete. She since returned to the fold and was mentored by ex-world champions Shanaze Reade.
Whyte lifted his team-mate into his arms on an emotional early afternoon. Earlier he had promised to ‘bring something nice back to Peckham’. Mobbed by his coaches after finishing narrowly behind the winner, he will do just that.
Shriever said she was forced to pull herself together after becoming emotional watching Whyte secure his silver.
‘I was watching him just as I was going up, I was almost crying because he got a silver. I had to keep my cool, reset and dig in and like you saw I had no legs, I gave it everything I got.’
