 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 BMX World Championships - CDM
Perth, Australia, July 23-27, 2003
Main Page FAQ Results Previous Day
Day 3 - Sunday July 27: UCI BMX World Championships
Two in row for Bennett
By Tracy Tilsed in Perth
 |
Kyle Bennett made it back-to-back world championships when he exploded out of the gates in the final on Sunday night and led the field around the track. The 22 year old American, who had been out of action with a broken collarbone for four weeks, showed why he was the reigning world champion, when he powered down the track, leaving the rest of the field in his tracks.
Bennett was thrilled that he defended his title successfully, particularly as there was some doubt as to whether he would make it to Perth. He was even more excited about his win, particularly as there was added pressure on him as defending champion.
"I felt the pressure more this time as the defending champion, compared to when I was trying to win my first title," said Bennett. "The pressure was intense in the motos. As reigning champion, I was expected to get through to the final," he added.
Tactically, Bennett was aware that he needed to get out of the gate first and head into the first turn in front of the rest of the field. "I knew that Randy's (Stumpfhauser) aim would be to get to the first berm ahead of the field so I had to go hard and make sure I was up towards the front and then take it from there," said Bennett.
With BMX to be included as an Olympic sport in Beijing in 2008, the 2003 World Champion was excited that BMX had finally made it onto the Olympic program. "Everyone has been working so hard for a long time to get our sport into the Olympics and it is awesome that it has finally happened. I will be 28 when the Beijing Olympic Games come around and I can't wait to be there."
Stumpfhauser finished behind Bennett for the second year in a row, while Robert De Wilde from the Netherlands walked away with the Bronze medal.
Ajinca takes Women's as Diaz crashes out
 |
In the final of the Elite Women category, reigning world champion, Argentina's Gabriela Diaz crashed on the first straight, putting herself out of contention. Diaz, who broke her arm in March and was off the track for eight weeks, was unable to continue and had to be assisted from the track. French rider Elodie Ajinca claimed the world title, with Willy Kanis from The Netherlands in the silver medal position, with Switzerland's Tatjana Schocher claiming a podium position in third place.
The new world champion started in the sport of BMX in 1991 and her best performance at a world champs previously had been in 1994 when she finished second in an event for 12-year-olds.
Heading into the championships, the 21 year old was not thinking about winning the title. "I just wanted to try to do my best although I hoped that I could be on the podium," said Ajinca.
Prior to 2003, Ajinca had competed in four world championships, with a best placing of third in 2001, while at last year's championships, she crashed, recovering to eventually finish in seventh place.
Canada's Samantha Cools took out the Junior Women Championship. Cools, who was last year's champion in the same event, led from the start and never looked in danger. Kimberley Hayashi from the United States, and Cyrielle Convert from France won the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Cools said she was full of confidence coming into this years World Championships.
"I felt good coming into the event. I had trained really hard. My plan was to try my best but anything can happen. You can fall in the semis and not make the finals so you never know what may eventuate," said Cools.
Cools was also excited about the debut of BMX at the Olympics in Beijing."I am looking forward to Beijing and excited that BMX has finally made it in as an Olympic sport. I will be 21 and at my peak by the time Beijing comes around," said Cools, adding that the event in Perth had been exciting and that it couldn't have run more smoothly than it had.
In the Junior Men's final, Arturs Matisons from Latvia led the field out and powered away to win the championship. A numbers of riders crashed to the track, with two hitting the dirt on the first turn, and another three down the back straight. Argentinian Manuel Lopez took home the silver medal, with Sander Bisseling from The Netherlands walking away with the bronze medal.
Photos
Images by AFP/Tony Ashby
- Kyle Bennett (USA, C) leads the field on his way to winning the Mens Elite category final, ahead of fellow countryman Randy Stumpfhauser (USA, R), Robert De Wilde (Ned, rear) and Christophe Leveque (Fra, L).
- Willy Kanis (Ned, C) enters the straight to win and advance to the final of the Elite Women's category, while European champion Jana Horakova (L) spills out of the contest. Kanis finished second in the final.
- Elodie Ajinca of France smiles on the podium after winning the Elite Women's category at the the World BMX Championships.
- Elodie Ajinca (France) winks at the cameras as she stands on the podium to collect her world champion's crown as winner of the Elite Women's category.
- Arturs Matisons (Lat) gets some serious air on his way to winning the junior men's category final.
Results
Elite Men 1 Kyle Bennett (USA) 2 Randy Stumpfhauser (USA) 3 Robert De Wilde (Netherlands) 4 Jason Richardson (USA) 5 Christophe Leveque (France) 6 Brandon Meadows (USA) 7 Wade Bootes (Australia) 8 Thomas Allier (France) Elite Women 1 Elodie Ajinca (France) 2 Willy Kanis (Netherlands) 3 Tatjana Schocher (Switzerland) 4 Natarsha Williams (Australia) 5 Tanya Bailey (Australia) 6 Alice Jung (USA) 7 Kate Elliott (Australia) 8 Gabriela Maria Diaz (Argentina) Junior Women 1 Samantha Cools (Canada) 2 Kimberly Hayashi (USA) 3 Cyrielle Convert (France) 4 Blandine Cottereau (France) 5 Emma Franklin (Australia) 6 Renee Junga (Australia) 7 Krystal Cranfield (Australia) 8 Laetitia Le Corguille (France) Junior Men 1 Arturs Matisons (Latvia) 2 Manuel Alejandro Lopez (Argentina) 3 Sander Bisseling (Netherlands) 4 Thomas Hamon (France) 5 Augusto Castro (Columbia) 6 David Gibert (France) 7 Ivo Van Der Putten (Netherlands) 8 Kyle Weisenberger (USA)
