Saya Sakakibara's tearful revelation after Olympics history for Australia amid brutal BMX drama

Saya Sakakibara fought back tears after delivering Australia's 11th gold medal of the Olympic Games with a stunning victory in the women's BMX racing. It was a landmark triumph for the 24-year-old who becomes the nation's first medallist in the event but Sakakibara's joy was tinged with sadness for Aussie teammate, Izaac Kennedy, who crashed out in brutal scenes in the men's final only moments earlier.

Sakakibara's victory was a triumph over adversity and was extra special considering the personal and family heartbreak that has fuelled her quest for Olympic gold. Sakakibara's brother Kai was also a top BMX racer but suffered a life-changing brain injury after a horrific crash in a World Cup race in Bathurst in 2020. And Australia's first BMX gold medallist was overcome with emotion speaking about her brother and family, who watched her momentous victory from the stands in Paris.

“This means so much, my family is here,” Sakakibara said through tears. “Everything that I’ve been through in the last three years, that was what got me going. I just visualised this moment. I visualised being on top of the podium, hearing the national anthem and having the gold medal around my neck. I wanted it.

“All I had to do was just f***ing go, and I just f***ing went. I just didn’t want to leave here without giving it my all, without making myself proud, and make these setbacks worthwhile... I just want to see my parents. I couldn't see them in the crowd. I knew that, either way, I was going to end in tears.

"From the start of this week, I had COVID and I thought, 'I can't believe this'. But I just wanted to make sure it is a gold Olympic moment. Either way, it was going to end in tears, and I wanted to make sure they are happy tears."

Sakakibara's epic victory came three years after her Olympic hopes went up in smoke at the Tokyo Games, where the nation watched on in horror as she was taken away on a stretcher following a crash in the semi-finals. But on Saturday morning (AEST), the Aussie completed her emotional comeback was embraced at the finish by her French boyfriend Romain Mahieu, who had just claimed bronze in the men's event moments before.

Saya Sakakibara wins Australia's first Olympics gold in BMX

Sakakibara's victory followed a first women's BMX freestyle medal for Australia, won by fellow Queenslander Natalya Diehm. And it's the second Australian cycling gold medal, following Grace Brown's win on day one in the road time trial. The last time Australian cycling won multiple gold medals at an Olympics was the record haul of six at Athens in 2004.

"I honestly can't believe it right now. It all feels like a blur. This whole day was a blur," she told Channel Nine after the race. "As I rocked up today, it was six o'clock. I knew that it was going to end at 10pm and I was like, 'I'm going to make these four hours the most proud I've ever been of myself'.

"Every hour that went by, I was like, 'OK, these next three hours, I'm going to make sure I give it everything', and then once I was at the top of the hill, I was like, 'lane one, I'm the most comfortable I've ever been'. That's all I've been writing this whole week. I just knew I had it when the gate called. I smiled. I was like, 'all I have to do is go'. It is crazy. I feel that it's a dream. It is real, right?"

RELATED:

• Aussie swim stars make Olympic history in epic golden double in Paris

• Ariarne Titmus reveals teammate's foul-mouthed rev-up before relay win

• Sam Kerr's telling unseen act emerges amid ugly Matildas fallout

Sakakibara won all three of her quarter-final heats and all three of the semi-final races too, producing the two fastest times in qualifying for the final in a show of extraordinary consistency. But where she has faltered in the past - including at the world championships in May - Sakakibara rose to the occasion in Paris to blitz her rivals by winning in 34.231 seconds - well ahead of Dutch silver medallist Manon Veenstra and third-placed Zoe Claessens.

"It is crazy. I feel that it's a dream. It is real, right?", Sakakibara said in a TV interviewer moments after her victory. "Every setback I had... I thought I am going to give this another crack, I just had that in mind. I didn't want to leave here without making myself proud, make these setbacks worthwhile."

Fifteen minutes earlier though there was heartbreak for Sakakibara's Aussie teammate Kennedy, who got a strong start out of the gate and was in third before disaster quickly struck. Knowing he needed a blistering start to give himself any chance of winning a medal, the 23-year-old Gold Coast rider tried to dip down wide and swiftly on the first of the U-bends to get into contention, only to clip the side of the track and go tumbling at high speed.

In a heartbreaking flash for the Aussie, his race was over at the first corner and Kennedy couldn't hide his disappointment as he got up slumped next to his bike off the track. Fortunately, Kennedy was able to struggle to his feet, get back on the bike and slowly make his way back to the finish line, as France swept the men's medals with Joris Daudet winning ahead of Sylvain Andre and Mahieu.

with AAP