Felicia Stancil and Simon Marquart crowned 2022 BMX racing world champions in Nantes
It was an emotional day in Southwest France for both the American and the Swiss, who claimed their maiden Elite world titles.
Cycling BMX Racing
Felicia Stancil and Simon Marquart claimed the Elite titles at the 2022 UCI BMX racing World Championships in Nantes, France, on Sunday (31 July).
In the women's race Stancil took an early lead and held off former European champion Zoe Claessens all the way to the line to beat her in a photo-finish.
The American was 0.010 seconds faster than the Swiss rider, with Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Merel Smulders of the Netherlands coming in third, over a tenth of a second back.
"Growing up World championships meant so much to me. I won my second World title at 10 years old in France, this place is already special to me," the 27-year-old said after the race.
"That's amazing. I had a very good amateur career, and I've been Elite for a while and I never won an Elite title, so that's the one thing that I always wanted. I'm shock right now, this place has so much energy and hopefully it will come to me very soon!"
Stancil is the first American to claim the BMX racing world title since Alise Willoughby in 2019. The Rio 2016 silver medallist crossed the finish line in fourth (+0.379), followed by three-time World champion Mariana Pajon of Colombia in fifth, more than half a second behind the winner.
Marquart became the first Swiss rider to claim the world men's Elite title after a close race: the 2021 BMX Supercross World Cup winner came from behind half way through the final to power in front of the pack and beat reigning European champion Kye Whyte by 0.132 seconds.
Home favourite Joris Daudet of France won bronze, finishing over half a second back.
"I don't know how it feels because I've been world champion for like two minutes now and I'm already crying so, it feels absolutely amazing, it's a childhood dream," said Marquart, who spent most of the season out to recover from a collarbone injury.
"I knew that it was going to be carnage, so I was pretty happy about lane 6. It was the perfect lane to stay out of trouble. I got second or third after the first turn, then I stayed calm. I took some gas out when I was coming out of the second turn because I told myself 'don't go too hard, don't drive too hard, don't make silly mistakes, just tick some boxes,' that's what I did it and I got the job done."
2021 world champions Niek Kimmann (Netherlands) and Bethany Shriever (Great Britain) couldn't advance to the final after finishing seventh and last, respectively, in their semi-finals.
2022 UCI BMX racing World Championships - Results
Women's Elite
Felicia Stancil (USA) 33.144
Zoe Claessens (SUI) +0.010
Merel Smulders (NED) +0.116
Alise Willoughby (USA) + 0.379
Mariana Pajon (COL) +0.598
Manon Veenstra (NED) +2.060
Laura Smulders (NED) +4.421
Camille Maire (FRA) +10.156
Men's Elite
Simon Marquart (SUI) 29.525
Kye Whyte (GBR) +0.132
Joris Daudet (FRA) +0.585
Gonzalo Molina (ARG) +2.045
Andre Sylvain (FRA) +3.580
Izaac Kenny (AUS) +50.716
Arthur Pilard (FRA) DNF
Eddy Clerte (FRA) DNF