So determined was he to win the inaugural men’s gold medal when BMX freestyle made its Olympic debut that Martin had a training arena built in his own backyard. The Queenslander is in such a class of his own that even a conservative first run was enough to seal the gold medal. The 27-year-old won the first-ever world championships when BMX freestyle was added to the roster by global governing body UCI in 2017. His efforts – and those of the other male and female competitors in Tokyo – have put BMX freestyle on the mainstream sporting map, where it will surely stay. “I have won pretty much every event in BMX freestyle,” he told the Guardian in June.

Source: The Guardian August 01, 2021 04:08 UTC