Walker defies odds at BMX World Championships

SPEED: Sarah Walker has made her first BMX final in three years at the UCI World Championships in USA. PHOTO/NICO VAN DARTEL

Rotorua BMX Club member and two-time Olympian Sarah Walker has made her first BMX final in three years.

Despite an injury-plagued few years and no racing for two months, she was the best of the Kiwi BMX riders, finishing eighth in the elite women class at the UCI World Championships in South Carolina, US at the weekend.

The 29-year-old from Kawerau went into the championships with little expectation and even survived a spectacular crash in a qualifying race, before working her way to the grand final.

While she had to be content with eighth in a talent-packed final, Walker said her performances were such that instead of doubting her future in the sport, she could now plot a course to a possible appearance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Saturday started anything but confidently for Walker. She was fifth in her first qualifying moto and fourth in the next two, just edging in to the elimination rounds by one point. It included a somersault crash, but this time Walker finished the race without any injuries.

The London Olympic silver medallist enjoyed an excellent gate from the outside in her quarter-final to finish second.

The semifinal proved a tougher battle after she was squeezed on the outside, but Walker made a splendid move on the turn to gain three spots. She pushed into fourth spot and held off the challengers to make the finals.

Walker had a good gate in the final but ran out of real estate on the outside and was shuffled to the rear of the field, and had to be content for eighth.

The final was won by American Alise Post, a popular rider who grabbed her first world title.

It was a poignant moment with the entire field riding out to congratulate her after she had hugged fiancee and former world champion Sam Willoughby, who was paralysed in a BMX crash last year.

Walker's last world championship final was 2014 and previous to that 2011 when she finished runner-up.

"I really honestly did not know if I was going to get out of the moto stage," Walker said.

"My moto draw had three finalists in it and two others who had made World Cup finals.

"To make this final, I am really proud of myself. I still need to work on my first few pedal strokes out of the gate but my track speed was good.

"To be in the final, to get a good gate, have a good first straight, to come away in one piece - honestly this is a proud moment and a cool way for me to go through a world championships.

"I have to process this first. The field here was outstanding. There was no one missing. This weekend was very promising and I think if I can nail the first few metres out of the start, then I really think I can be right there in terms of the Olympics."

The 2018 world championships will be in Baku, Azerbaijan.