3 minute read
Logan Martin has crashed out in the Olympic BMX freestyle final as Natalya Diehm took a surprise bronze in the equivalent women's event in Paris.
Logan Martin has been dethroned as the king of Olympic freestyle cycling - but Australia can salute a new BMX star in shock women's bronze medallist Natalya Diehm.
Diehm was beside herself with joy after delivering the performances of her life in the precarious high-flying cycling event which has left her with a catalogue of broken bones down the years.
And despite his disappointment, Martin, the 2021 champion who crashed out on both his runs in the final on Wednesday, was the first to hail his try-try-and-try-again teammate's historic breakthrough as Diehm became the first Australian woman ever to take a BMX freestyle medal .
"We've never medalled at a World Cup event at all. So to do it here on the biggest world stage, that's going down in history. I've written history today. That's insane," smiled the 26-year-old Queenslander, whose mum Tamara was at the magnificent La Concorde skate park to give her a congratulatory hug.
Diehm made that history by thriving in the intense heat and under an even more stifling spotlight while many of her opponents suffered falls and botched tricks.
After being the second rider to go in the final round, she then had the most nervous wait of her life to see if her first-run score of 88.80 would hold up to earn her the historic medal.
One by one, the main threats slipped up, leaving her third when US five-times world champion Hannah Roberts emerged to try to beat eventual Chinese winner Yawen Deng (92.60) and American Perris Benegas (90.70).
But Roberts bombed out after failing to nail her first trick.
"It was definitely one of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life," said Diehm.
"Hannah Roberts is one of my best friends, and I know how good she is. I just didn't know which way it was going to go and didn't want to wish bad on anyone. But I wanted that podium so bad. I can't believe it's here."
It's been a long, painful journey for Diehm, one she once considered quitting as she suffered so many injuries, including broken wrists, elbows and dislocated shoulders.
She's had five surgeries to repair a battered knee and, along with funding problems, it persuaded her to call it a day, only to be talked out of it by mountain biking star Caroline Buchanan.
Martin was thrilled for her. "It's awesome what she's done," said the dethroned champ.
"She's just wanted to make a podium - and she's made the biggest one ever. For her to now have an Olympic medal, I'm super proud of her."
The 30-year-old himself was upset his reign was over but he had attempted an ambitious program in a bid to topple a field of ever-improving young athletes since he set the bar high in Tokyo.
He still produced a brilliant first run, marred by an early error when his foot touched the floor and the front wheel of his BMX clipped the edge of a jump just before the end, sending him tumbling disconsolately to the track.
On the second run, seeking to overhaul brilliant Argentine winner Jose Torres Gil, Martin landed heavily after a double flare, lost momentum and rode out, his dream of double gold over.
His first-round score of 64.40 left him ninth and last as Torres Gil took the gold with a 94.82 run, ahead of Britain's Kieran Reilly (93.91) and local hero Anthony Jeanjean (93.76).
"I don't think I pushed it too far. I just don't think it was my day," shrugged Martin. I did all this stuff in practice, but the execution wasn't there for me today.
"But I'm gonna keep competing. This is definitely not the end for me."
