Chinese rider Deng Yawen credited her BMX freestyle triumph to a team effort.
PARIS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Deng Yawen of China won a spectacular gold medal in the BMX freestyle event at the Paris Olympic Games on Wednesday, but then insisted her success was down to a team effort.
The 18-year-old produced two highest scoring runs in the tournament with 92.60 in her second run, after scoring 92.50 in her first attempt.
"I already got a pretty good score in the first run, which gave me a lot of confidence and courage. So, for the second run, I wanted to go for an even better score," Deng told Xinhua.
Her score left her comfortably ahead of Perris Benegas of the USA, whose second run scored 90.70 points, while Natalia Diehm of Australia took bronze with an 88.80-point opening run.
The Chinese team had hinted after qualification on Tuesday that they were holding something special back for the final and so it proved as Deng wowed the judges with a double whip, a no-hands tuck and triple bar-spin to begin with.
"My biggest competitor in this event is myself. I just wanted to focus on the competition and do my best," said Deng, who had massive praise for coach Daniel Dhers, who is from Venezuela and one of the most decorated BMX freestyle riders of all time.
"My coach helps us overcome our problems and he has taught us a lot of things that we didn't understand very well about the BMX cycling," said Deng, who is grateful for Dher's experience.
"He has given us a lot of valuable lessons on how to choose our routines and how to react when facing unexpected situations," she insisted, saying her individual success was down to the support of many people.
"There wouldn't be today's success without the support from my country and my team," commented Deng.
The youngster also showed ambition for the future and said she would not rest on her laurels and continue improving.
"Today's competition is over, and the honor of gaining a gold medal won't follow me in every competition ... I'm really just gonna focus on my training and show the world a better version of me," she promised.
Deng's run put a massive amount of pressure on those who performed behind her, with Hannah Robert's falling as she attempted a front flip without enough space as she looked to claim extra points.
Roberts also fell early in her second run and didn't bother carrying on, as she knew her medal options had gone. The American went directly over to give a congratulatory hug to Deng, which says a lot about the companionship in a sport where falls, bumps and bruises are part of the routine.
China's other rider, Sun Jiaqi finished seventh, but she won a lot of friends with a spectacular first run that included a 360 degree spin, a triple and double whip, but which was spoiled when she just clipped the volcano and fell when attempting a back flip.
Sun also hit the floor in her second run, but remounted and showed her determination with another impressive series of moves and was rewarded by huge audience applause. ■
