BMX Freestyle champion Charlotte Worthington hyped for Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai with Paris 2024 spot on the line
The Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 events will take place in Shanghai in May and Budapest in June, with Paris 2024 quotas to be obtained in four different sports. The reigning women's BMX Freestyle Olympic champion shares what she's excited for in Shanghai.
Charlotte Worthington knows what it takes to stand on top of a BMX Freestyle podium.
At the last Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 2021, the British rider became the inaugural women's Olympic champion in the event.
But her place at Paris 2024 isn't yet secure. She will join hundreds of other athletes in her sport, as well as in breaking, skateboarding, and sport climbing, in taking part at the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024 (OQS), the first such multi-sport specific Olympic qualifier of its kind.
And the 27-year-old can't wait to take to the bowl when the first of those events takes place in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, from 16 to 19 May 2024.
"I'm really excited about participating in a multi-sports qualifier event," she tells Olympics.com on a visit to Shanghai ahead of May's competition. "Every athlete is there for one goal, which is to represent their country at Paris 2024. And I think the selected sports go together very well."
Worthington may be heading to Shanghai and Budapest, Hungary, in search of a quota spot for Paris, but she admits she also can't wait to enjoy the event in a different manner.
"I'm actually going to be fangirling about certain skateboarders that are going, [and] I know a couple of [b-boys and b-girls]. I'm teammates with them and that makes me very excited to go and experience their competition. And I will be a fan and experience that culture."
Worthington on Shanghai experience: "absolutely amazing"
The Manchester native's visit to Shanghai has been an eye-opening one ahead of her return in May.
"This is my first time ever in Shanghai," she reveals. "So far the experience has been absolutely amazing.
"I've visited very old history and the very modern skyline with the big contrast, tasted amazing food, seen incredible Chinese culture, and I find it very interesting.
"I'm very excited for the next time that I come here, and this trip has already been fantastic."
That "next time" will see her less focussed on sight-seeing and more on competing, with the goal of earning enough points from both Shanghai and Budapest to secure a quota place by name for Paris 2024.
"Nothing is guaranteed, but I'm really going to do my best to get myself in those top positions," Worthington insists. "I really want to enjoy the experience while I do that, because I know that I'm going to work very hard and put my all on the line.
"So I'm going to make sure that I enjoy it and I'm relaxed, that's when I ride at my best.
"I'm preparing at home very hard, obviously. I'm preparing my physical strength and fitness. And most of all, probably my mental strength and happiness with that."
OQS will be "exciting event" for both athletes and fans
While the end goal is Paris 2024, Worthington believes the Olympic Qualifier Series will provide the athletes competing a special experience, especially with fans expected to pack the stands.
"Competing in this kind of environment, it might be the biggest stage that we've competed at so far," she says, pointing out that the circumstances around the last Olympic Games were different.
"Tokyo 2020 [in 2021] was [during] a Covid year, so we didn't actually have any crowds, although I didn't take notice of that. But I think it will be something that will be a big thing here: I think there's going to be lots of people.
"There'll be a buzzing atmosphere, there'll be high stakes and high anticipation. So I think we've got to prepare for a really big event and it's going to be exciting."
And what can the fans expect?
"I think it's great that the sports really crossover," Worthington says. "Any spectators that come I think will see a general side of freestyle action sports, as well as the specifics.
"It could just light up their world to try out new sports."
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.