Tokyo Olympics: Team GB’s Charlotte Worthington takes GOLD in freestyle BMX with 360 backflip

Charlotte Worthington won gold for Great Britain in the first Olympic women’s BMX freestyle competition in Tokyo.

The 25-year-old nailed the first ever 360 backflip to be performed in women’s competition in a huge second run – having crashed attempting the move in her first.

It was just one of several highlights in a second effort that earned the Mancunian a monster score of 97.50.

Charlotte Worthington has taken gold for Team GB in the women’s freestyle BMX with the first ever 360 backflip

The British celebrates after a sensational second run which saw her earn a monster score of 97.50

Having made the 360 stick early in her run, a confident-looking Worthington also threw in a front flip and a huge backflip to pad her scoring and deliver yet another BMX medal for Britain after the racing gold and silver for Beth Shriever and Kye Whyte.

Worthington had shown her ambition in the first run as she attempted the 360 backflip, but missed the landing to hit the deck, leaving her well down the standings after the opening round.

American Hannah Roberts had topped the standings after an opening run worth 96.10, but when she pulled up early in her second run, gold for Worthington was guaranteed.

Worthington missed her first attempt at the 360 but recovered to get back on her bike

The Brit beat the much favoured American rider Hannah Roberts, who took the silver medal

Worthington told the BBC: ‘It’s kind of unreal. I’m waiting to wake up now!

‘I’ve been dreaming about this for four years and it still feels like I’m dreaming.’

‘I didn’t put any pressure on myself (after the fall in the first run). You kind of go in and out of it, sometimes you’re thinking maybe there is some pressure and maybe it’s not going to happen this time, but you’ve got to let those things go really quick and refocus. So I tried to focus on enjoying myself and taking it one trick at a time.’

On her historic 360, Worthington said: ‘It was incredible. I’ve not been doing that trick for that long, but we’ve been trying to find that big banger trick and when we found it we were like, ‘I think this is the one’.

Worthington and her team celebrate after her gold medal in the comeptition is confirmed

‘And to be honest I wouldn’t have any of those tricks if it wasn’t for Hannah. So Hannah’s made me push so hard since day one. This is the first time I’ve ever beaten her. So if it wasn’t for Hannah Roberts we wouldn’t be this far anyway.’

Roberts, who couldn’t finish her second run, was full of praise for her British competitor.

‘There was definitely a lot going on. My first run was good, I knew there was places I could improve and that was what the second run was for. 

‘I’m super proud of Charlotte, she did a phenomenal run and how far she has come so I am honoured to take second to her.’