Great Britain’s BMX world champion Kieran Reilly moved closer to his first Olympics after finishing third in the first leg of the Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai.
Reilly, who won the men’s elite BMX freestyle park title in Glasgow last year, becoming Britain’s first world champion in the sport, scored 89.28 to finish behind France’s Anthony Jeanjean (93.54) and Olympic champion Logan Martin of Australia (92.65).
The event in China, which also includes breaking, skateboarding and sport climbing, is the first of two legs in which athletes will have the chance to earn ranking points towards Olympic quota spots, with the second event to take place in Budapest from 20-23 June.
Reilly’s third place gave him 41 out of a possible 50 ranking points while compatriot Jude Jones was fourth to give him 38 points, and Dylan Hessey 12th.
In the women’s event, teenager Sasha Pardoe finished 11th, one place ahead of Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington.
Worthington is back in action after she took a break from competition as she struggled to regain her love for the sport after her 2021 Tokyo win.
In sport climbing, GB duo Hamish McArthur and Erin McNeice are into Sunday’s boulder and lead finals but skateboarders Tommy Calvert, George O’Neill, Andy Macdonald and Lily Strachan all failed to advance to the semi-finals of the park events.
Olympic bronze medallist Sky Brown missed the event with a knee injury but hopes to be fit to return in Budapest.
