Team GB’s Charlotte Worthington has won the gold medal in the women’s BMX freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics.
It is Great Britain’s ninth gold medal of the Games.
Worthington, from Manchester, landed the first ever 360 backflip to be performed in women’s competition in a huge second run – having crashed attempting the move in her first.
It was just one of several highlights in a second effort that earned her an unbeatable score of 97.5.
After UK Sport withdrew funding for women’s BMX and men’s mountain biking, Worthington worked 40 hours a week as a chef in a Mexican restaurant as she trained for this year’s Games.
On her triumph, Worthington told the BBC: “It’s kind of unreal. I’m waiting to wake up now! I’ve been dreaming about this for four years and it still feels like I’m dreaming.
“I didn’t put any pressure on myself (after the fall in the first run). You kind of go in and out of it, sometimes you’re thinking maybe there is some pressure and maybe it’s not going to happen this time, but you’ve got to let those things go really quick and refocus.
“So I tried to focus on enjoying myself and taking it one trick at a time.”
Stephen Park, British Cycling’s performance director, said people should remember Worthington’s name.
He tweeted: “The route hasn’t been smooth but to nail @Tokyo2020 this after the 1st run fail is huge testimony to her belief & resilience. @chazworther A Top @TeamGB @BritishCycling athlete. Remember her name.”
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The category is new to the Olympics so Worthington has won a place in the history books as the first person to win a gold medal for BMX freestyling
Later at the Ariake Urban Sports Park, Britain’s Declan Brooks took bronze in the men’s BMX freestyle, while Logan Martin of Australia won gold and Daniel Dhers from Venezuela took silver.
BMX racing made its debut at the Bejing Games 13 years ago.
The sport has enjoyed a high profile this year thanks to the success of Bethany Shriever, who won gold in women’s BMX racing, and “Prince of Peckham” Kye Whyte, who took silver in the men’s BMX racing.
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Duncan Scott is the first British athlete to win four medals at a single Games
Meanwhile, swimmer Duncan Scott has become the first British athlete to win four medals at a single Olympics as Team GB celebrated their best swimming haul at a Games.
Scott, Adam Peaty, Luke Greenbank and James Guy won the silver medal in the men’s 4×100 metres medley relay in the final swimming event in Tokyo.
They finished 0.73 seconds behind the United States, who claimed gold in a world record time of three minutes and 26.78 seconds.
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Great Britain’s (L-R) Duncan Scott, Luke Greenbank, James Guy, Adam Peaty with their silver medals in the final swimming event
Britain’s eighth swimming medal – with four golds, three silvers and a bronze – bettered their previous best tally in the pool of seven gongs, set at the London Games 113 years ago.
Scott had already won gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, silver in the solo event and finished runner-up in the 200m individual medley.
