American Hannah Roberts roared back from her Olympic heartbreak in Paris 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 high with a first run of 95.70 points, a score that 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 seven world championships since BMX freestyle debuted in 2017, bouncing back 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 bronze. Paris Olympic champion Deng Yawen did not participate.
In the men’s race, Australian Logan Martin won his third world title with a second run of 94.30 points. He previously won gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Argentinian José Torres Gil took silver with a first run of 91.60 points, while American Justin Dowell took bronze with 90.74.
Roberts and Martin both returned to winning form after falling short in Paris, cementing their place among the BMX freestyle elite.
After her disappointing performance at the Paris Summer Games, Roberts kept a positive outlook on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“No matter what happens, I’m just happy to be able to do this,” Roberts said. “It’s a dream come true. Naturally, the goal is to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games. But at the same time, it doesn’t have to happen.
“I have a very successful career at 22 and I just want to keep improving no matter what.”