UCI World Championships 2023: BMX Freestyle preview, full schedule and how to watch live Paris 2024 Qualifying action
A star-studded line-up is coming to Glasgow, Scotland when the BMX Freestyle Park event is taking place on 5 to 7 August with Paris 2024 spots and qualifying ranking points at stake. Find out everything you need to know about the competition below.
Cycling BMX Freestyle
The world’s best BMX freestylers are gearing up to battle for the title of world champion at the UCI Cycling World Championships 2023, hosted across Scotland this year, with Glasgow Green as the venue for the BMX Freestyle event.
Japan’s Rim Nakamura aims to retain his world title from last year’s event in Abu Dhabi, while 21-year-old reigning champion Hannah Roberts is eyeing her fifth rainbow jersey.
The field will be packed with Olympians eager to showcase their best tricks, with just one year to go to Paris 2024.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the event.
Glasgow 2023: When and where will the BMX freestyle competition take place?
The BMX freestylers will have a full day of practice on Friday 4 August, and the following day they will start the qualification. On Sunday 6 August the semi-finals will take place, and the finals on Monday 7 August.
The dates are for both the women’s and men’s competitions.
BMX Freestyle is part of the new UCI World Championships, which includes all the main cycling disciplines and will happen every four years. Glasgow, Scotland has been chosen to host the first of its kind. The BMX Freestyle competition will be held in the park Glasgow Green.
How does the World Championships affect Olympic qualification?
There are three Paris 2024 quotas per gender available for the 2023 Cycling World Championships, but they will only be allocated based on the results of the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) taking place in 2024.
A strong placement at the UCI World Championships could put riders in a great position for a spot at the Paris Games. However, they will have to wait until 2024 to see if their results are enough to secure a place in the French capital next year.
BMX freestylers to watch at the 2023 BMX Freestyle World Championships
Can Rim Nakamura retain the men’s crown?
Defending world champion Rim Nakamura has improved his results throughout the season, and now, after taking home second place at the most recent World Cup event in Brussels, he is one of the main favourites to win again this year.
The winner of the competition in Brussels was Anthony Jeanjean from France. The three-time European champion was eager for revenge, as he finished second on home soil in Montpellier at the previous World Cup event. The Frenchman could be extra motivated to show his abilities just one year out from the Games in his home country.
Great Britain’s Kieran Reilly will quest for his first world title, as he was victorious at the European Games in June, taking first place ahead of Jeanjean.
Olympic champion Logan Martin of Australia has showed great form again this year, winning both the World Cup event in Montpellier and in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. In Brussels, he finished third.
Also, Olympic silver medallist Daniel Dhers and Olympic bronze medallist Declan Brooks will be in the mix at the World Championships.
Will Roberts make it five?
Hannah Roberts of the United States is the most successful rider in the BMX freestyle field. The Olympic silver medallist clinched the first World Cup event of the season, but since then, the Chinese team, now coached by Venezuelan legend Daniel Dhers, has dominated the World Cup scene.
The American four-time world champion finished second in both Montpellier and Brussels, beaten by riders of People’s Republic of China. In France, Zhou Huimin defeated Roberts to take her first-ever World Cup victory, and in Brussels she did it again.
In the most recent World Cup in Belgium, the Chinese team had five women in the top ten, with Xia Honglin finishing third. Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington of Great Britain is also lining up in Glasgow, and so is Olympic bronze medallist Nikita Ducarroz from Switzerland.
France’s Laury Perez will also be eying a top result, after finishing on the World Cup podium for the first time in Montpellier. The 19-year-old took another spot on the podium at the European Games last month, claiming the bronze medal.
Seventeen-year-old Iveta Miculyčová of Czechia also deserves to be metioned among the top three candidates. The upcoming prospect was the champion at this year’s European Games. Despite her young age, she is already a double European champion and got a bronze medal from last year’s World Championships.
BMX Freestyle Park at UCI World Championships 2023 schedule
All times below are British Summer Time (UTC / GMT +1 hours) and subject to change.
Saturday 5 August
9:00: Women Elite - Qualification
13:30: Men Elite - Qualification
Sunday 6 August
12:00: Women Elite - Semi-final
15:00: Men Elite - Semi-final
Monday 7 August
14:30: Men Elite - Final
17:00: Women Elite - Final
How to watch BMX Freestyle Park at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships
The BBC has the full broadcast rights for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in the United Kingdom with live coverage on its linear channel and on BBC iPlayer.
In the United States and Canada, the event will be streamed by FloBikes, while Eurosport will broadcast in most of Europe.
SBS will stream the competitions on SBS On Demand for free in Australia.
Global coverage and highlight can also be found on the UCI channel on YouTube.
Please check local listings for coverage in your area.