BMX racing world championships hit South Carolina with Olympic berths on the line

FILE - Alise Willoughby of the United States competes in the women’s BMX Racing quarterfinals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. The BMX racing world championships are this weekend in Rock Hill , South Carolina, and there are spots on the American team for the Paris Olympics riding on the outcome. Willoughby, a two-time world champ and former Olympic silver medalist, is among the favorites along with U.S. teammates Felicia Stancil and Payton Ridenour.

“Here’s an interesting way to put it, I guess: I think I would rather, in my career, have an silver medal and world championships titles than not have any world championship titles and have a gold medal,” said Willoughby, won the 2017 and 2019 world titles. “Obviously the Olympics are what everybody sees — the pinnacle of the sport — but also within our sport, the world championships is our annual thing. It’s the biggest thing I’d ever seen until, obviously, I made the Olympics.

Willoughby will be pushed by British standout Bethany Shriever, the reigning world champ, along with Laura Smulders of the Netherlands, who finished second a year ago. The rider with the most momentum could be Saya Sakakibara, the Australian rider who won the World Cup race in Tulsa, and who has some Olympic improvement on her mind.

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