Flying through the air in the first ever Olympics featuring the tailwhips, backflips and barspins of BMX Freestyle
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Australia's Logan Martin in the BMX freestyle final at the Ariake Urban Sports Park during the Tokyo Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
The nine women who would later take to the park to decide who would become the first ever Olympic medallists in the sport of BMX Freestyle(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Natalya Diehm of Australia practices before the women's final of the BMX Freestyle at Ariake Urban Sports Park (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Natalya Diehm (Australia) during competition, doing one of the tricks that put her in fifth place(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Lara Lessmann of Germany, who finished sixth(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Bronze medallist Nikita Ducarroz of Switzerland(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Perris Benegas, one of the two competitors in the women's field from the United States, who finished in fourth place.(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Favourite Hannah Roberts of the United States(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Hannah Roberts (United States)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Three-time world champion Hannah Roberts of the United States roars with delight after laying down a hard to beat minute of tricks in her first run(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Hannah Roberts (United States)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Hannah Roberts (United States) gestures to the crowd after conceding to Worthington after pulling out of her final run(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
A hard fall for Russias Elizaveta Posadskikh(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Great Britain's Worthington prepares for her run (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
There was no holding back for Great Britain's Charlotte Worthington(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Charlotte Worthington (Great Britain)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Charlotte Worthington (Great Britain)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Charlotte Worthington (Great Britain)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Worthington, understandably delighted after a trick filled final run that included the first ever backflip 360 seen in women's competition(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
And the winner is Charlotte Worthington of Great Britain(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Silver medallist Hannah Roberts (USA) gold medallist Charlotte Worthington (GBR) and bronze medallist Nikita Ducarroz (SWI) on the podium for the first-ever medal ceremony for BMX Freestyle at the Olympic Games(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
World Champion Logan Martin of Australia watches the competition(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Declan Brooks (Great Britain) on his way to bronze(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Justin Dowell, one of two competitors from the United States in the men's competition(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
It didn't end well for Justin Dowell (United States) (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
And nor did it end well for an injured Nick Bruce (United States) who crashed in his first run and didn't take to the park for his second. That left the world's top ranked nation taking the last two places.(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Home nation competitor Rim Nakamura who came fifth(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Rim Nakamura (Japan)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Kenneth Tencio Esquivel of Costa Rica who just missed out on the medals(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Daniel Dhers (Venezuela)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Daniel Dhers (Venezuela)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Daniel Dhers of Venezuela, celebrating after his silver medal winning run(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
World champion Logan Martin (Australia) sets a high bar(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Logan Martin (Australia)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Logan Martin (Australia)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Logan Martin (Australia) delivering a bike flip on the second run(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Logan Martin (Australia) secures gold with his first run, so had time to celebrate in his second(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Silver medallist Daniel Dhers (Venezuela), gold medallist Logan Martin (Australia) and bronze medalist Declan Brooks (Great Britain)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Logan Martin (Australia)(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
It was an Olympic Games debut for BMX Freestyle in Tokyo and Great Britain's Charlotte Worthington secured the first-ever gold medal in the event with a gutsy history-making backflip 360. Then in the men's competition the sheer precision in the execution of the "safety run" laid down by Logan Martin delivered victory for the Australian with a knack for delivering in the landmark moments.
Great Britain's Worthington went all in with the high risk strategy, attempting a trick never before seen in women's competition and she fell in her first attempt. Three-time world champion Hannah Roberts of the United States then went on to deliver such a well executed, trick filled first run that she laster said "might have been one of the best runs I've ever done." It earned he a score of 96.1.
That meant Worthington's next minute on the Ariake Urban Sports Park had to be nothing short of spectacular to even have a chance at gold, so she got back up and pulled off that backflip 360, nestled within a spectacular series of tricks, to overtake the high mark set by Roberts. The rider from Manshester chalked up a huge score of 97.5 to take the victory with an audacious performance that left her competition with nothing to do but voice their admiration.
For Australia's Martin, his first run wasn't about taking risks but about safety, with the rider from the Gold Coast indicating at the end of his first minute that he had more to reveal. The run of tricks, however, was so well executed that, even though he was holding something in reserve, he shot straight into the gold medal position. Now, the top seeded rider just had to sit back and see if any one of the other eight could top him with their second run.
The closest was Venezuela Daniel Dhers who, clearly delighted with his run, managed to deliver a score of 92.05. That was enough for silver but not to challenge the 93.3 Martin delivered in his first minute long appearance. That meant the Australian had nothing left to do but savour the victory when he lined up as the last rider on the park. He delivered a front bike flip anyway, for the benefit of those watching, before celebrating Olympic gold.
For pictures of the flips, tailwhips, falls and celebrations delivered by the 18 riders who took part in the first-ever Olympics appearance for BMX Freestyle, click through the gallery above.
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