Chinese riders showcased exceptional talent at the Olympic Qualifier Series on Friday, securing top positions across multiple events and solidifying their status as leading contenders for the upcoming Olympic Games.
In the women’s BMX freestyle park preliminaries, teenagers Sun Sibei and Sun Jiaqi, along with Deng Yawen, swept the podium with impressive runs. Sun Sibei, 19, claimed first place with a score of 87.40 points, closely followed by Sun Jiaqi with 86.70 points and Deng with 85.40 points. Their performances captivated audiences and drew praise from international competitors.
“They have been super, super hot, super strong,” said World Champion Hannah Roberts from the United States. “Today, all of them held it together; they put on phenomenal runs. It was super fun to watch them ride.”
Their Venezuelan coach, Daniel Dhers, who is also competing in the men’s event, placed 12th, keeping his Olympic aspirations alive.
In the men’s BMX freestyle, American rider Marcus Christopher led the field with 89.07 points. Britain’s Wayne Dylan Hessey secured second with 87.29 points, and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Martin Logan of Australia took third with 86.83 points. China’s Hai Yang finished 20th and did not advance to the finals.
Chinese athletes also excelled in sport climbing. In the speed events, Wu Peng topped the men’s preliminaries with a lightning-fast time of 4.94 seconds. In the women’s category, Zhou Yafei advanced alongside teammates Niu Di, Wang Shengyan, and Zhang Shaoqin, finishing second with a time of 6.62 seconds, just behind Poland’s Aleksandra Kalucka.
In the Boulder & Lead qualifications, climbers Luo Zhilu and Pan Yufei secured their spots in the semi-finals, finishing 6th and 11th in the women’s and men’s events, respectively. Reigning Olympic champion Alberto Gines Lopez of Spain topped the men’s event.
The success continued in skateboarding, where 14-year-old Asian Games champion Cui Chenxi advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s street event, placing fifth with a score of 79.76 points. She is joined by fellow Chinese skateboarders Zhu Yuanling, Zhang Yan, and Zeng Wenhui. In the men’s park qualification, Australia’s Keefer Wilson led with 84.69 points, followed by the United States’ Jagger Eaton, who also advanced in the street event earlier.
The strong performances across BMX, climbing, and skateboarding highlight China’s growing prowess in these disciplines and set the stage for exciting competitions ahead.
Reference(s):
Chinese riders top women's BMX freestyle at Olympic Qualifier Series
cgtn.com
