Rebecca Petch: Three days, two sports, two titles

Elite champion Rebecca Petch (308) on her way to elite honours at the 2022 BMX National Championships in Hamilton. Photo / Cullen Browne/Cycling New Zealand

Two national titles in two sports over three days proved an impressive performance for Te Awamutu’s Tokyo Olympian Rebecca Petch.

The 23-year-old bagged her third elite BMX National Championship in a row at Hamilton on Sunday and on Tuesday won the 500m time trial on the opening day of Cycling New Zealand's Track National Championships in Cambridge.

Petch was one of the highlights where fellow Olympians Nick Kergozou and Bryony Botha scored impressive wins, and Waikato Bay of Plenty's Kiaan Watts, making a rare return from road racing, claimed the elite scratch race.

More than 200 riders are contesting the five-day competition comprising para-cyclists and able-bodied riders from under-15 grade to elite at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome.

Petch, who has dabbled in track cycling with her mainstay of BMX since Tokyo, clocked a championship record of 34.201s for the 500m time trial, which was just 0.2s outside the national open mark.

"I wasn't expecting to get a national title on the track today but it's pretty cool," said Petch.

"I am starting to get more used to the track bike and slowly starting to be more natural but there's still a lot of improvement to come."

On Sunday, Petch won all three of her motos at the BMX National Championships to claim her third elite crown and her 13th national title since taking up the sport at age 3, while Te Awamutu's Cole McOnie placed second in the elite men.

About 550 riders representing 27 clubs from Southland to Whangārei competed under strict red light Covid conditions, with BMX New Zealand and Hamilton club organisers splitting the weekend into four stand-alone events, with a full clean of the facility between half-day events.

Petch, building up for another European campaign, was untroubled in winning her three motos ahead of the under-23 winner, Hamilton club rider Baylee Luttrell, home from her base in Denmark.

"I handled it okay without the most ideal lead-up," said Petch.

"I just tried to stay calm, and race as hard as I could. I focused on keeping to my processes, get a good gate, hold my line and be nice and smooth around the track.

"I am used to 8m hills but it was good to get the variation. You had to think a lot more with the smaller jumps and not over-jump. It is nice to race on a different track.

"It means a lot to me to win the title and keep the winning record going. I will head to Europe in mid-May to get the world cup started and get the Olympic qualifying cycle under way from August."