Saya SAKAKIBARA

However, noticing a stronger BMX community in Australia and feeling a deeper connection to her family, friends and fan base there, Saya Sakakibara decided to represent Australia.

Saya’s parents encouraged her to study hard by supporting her BMX career in return for good grades, which helped her balance her studies with her training.

Saya started to rise through the ranks by winning state and national titles. In 2017, she won silver in the Junior Elite BMX Supercross at the World Championships.

A year later, Saya made her senior World Championships debut, finishing in sixth place. That same year, she was the runner-up in the overall 2018 World Cup Series.

Her experience grew with consistent appearances at World Cups and in 2019, Saya won the official Tokyo 2020 test event, defeating the then-world champion Alise Post of the USA.

Saya looked set for a strong performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but the Games’ postponement due to the pandemic, a personal tragedy and her struggles with concussions made her path difficult.

Saya’s brother Kai suffered a traumatic brain injury after crashing at a World Cup event in Bathurst and was put into a medically induced coma for two months.

Kai’s injury, along with her own series of concussions, including one at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, made her question whether she could continue in the sport. Despite these setbacks, Saya pushed on to honour her brother and her ambitions.

At Tokyo 2020, Saya showed a steely resolve by clawing her way back from a tough start in her quarter-final heats. Her campaign in Japan came to a premature halt after a huge crash in the semi-finals saw her stretchered from the track.

Following an extended break, Saya returned at the end of 2021 to claim her maiden Australian title at the national championships on the Gold Coast. Though another concussion and lung bruising in 2022 posed additional setbacks, Saya was back in top form by the end of the year.

In 2023, Saya won the UCI BMX Racing World Cup with near-flawless riding in the final two rounds.

Saya’s crowning achievement came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she dominated the women’s BMX racing final, leading from the start to claim gold at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Stadium in 34.231 seconds. She dedicated her success to her brother, proudly wearing his number 77 during the race.

After her victory, she was met at the finish by her partner, Romain Mahieu, who had won a bronze medal in the men’s race only minutes earlier.

In the days following her victory, Saya’s achievements were celebrated by her hometown in Helensburgh, where she was warmly welcomed by residents. With her gold medal draped around her neck, she visited a mural painted on the side of a pet store, honouring both her and Kai’s journey in the sport.