American Hannah Roberts roared back from her Paris Olympic heartbreak on Saturday by claiming her fifth consecutive BMX freestyle world title at the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
Roberts, 22, set the bar with a 95.70-point first run, a score no competitor could beat. Her second run scored 94.58, a mark that would have been high enough to win the event.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist has now won six of the seven world championships since BMX freestyle debuted in 2017. She rebounded after a heartbreaking eighth-place finish at La Concorde in July.
Chinese riders filled the next five spots, with Sun Sibei earning silver and Fan Xiaotong taking bronze. Paris Olympic champion Deng Yawen did not compete.
In the men’s event, Australian Logan Martin secured his third world title with a 94.30-point second run. He previously won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Argentina’s José Torres Gil took silver with a 91.60-point first run, while American Justin Dowell claimed bronze with 90.74.
Roberts and Martin both returned to winning form after falling short in Paris, cementing their places among BMX freestyle’s elite.
After her underwhelming showing at the Paris Summer Games, Roberts kept a positive outlook with an early eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“No matter what, I’m just stoked to be able to be doing this,” Roberts said. “It’s a dream come true. Obviously the goal is to win the gold medal at the Olympics. But at the same time, it doesn’t need to happen.
“I have a very accomplished career at 22, and I’m just looking at continuing to get better no matter what.”
