The Brazilian Paola Reis and the American Kamren Larsen got Olympic places for BMX cycling in Paris 2024, after triumphing in the Pan American Championship of the modality, which coincided with the fifth round of the BMX 2023 PKS Latin American Cup, held in Riobamba, Ecuador.
The 23-year-old South American was accompanied on the podium by Canadian Molly Simpson and also Brazilian by Priscilla Stevaux, silver and bronze, respectively, in a race where riders from seven nations participated.
“It is very satisfying to be the Pan American champion in a pre-Olympic year, with all the athletes trying to score points in the world ranking and also looking for the long-awaited Olympic place. I am very happy for the result and for having managed to ensure the participation of the Brazilian women’s BMX in Paris 2024″, Paola celebrated, in a statement reproduced on the website of the Brazilian Cycling Confederation (CBC).
Among the men, the northerner Kamren Larsen surpassed two favorites like the Colombians Carlos Alberto Ramírez and Ángel Santiago Suárez, second and third, respectively. Nonetheless, Colombia sits ninth in the men’s BMX Olympic rankings and would be entitled to a spot at Paris 2024 if the list closed today.
Other winners in the day were for the youth Sharyd Nicolle Fayad from Colombia; Thomas Maturano from Argentina; while in the under 23 category the golden ones were the Colombian Manuela Martínez and Ecuadorian Gustavo José Vicuña.
This Sunday closes the sixth round of the Latin American BMX Cup, whose seat is on the renovated BMX track in Riobamba, one of the best in the region. “It has international dimensions, it is one of the best tracks in America,” said Santiago Rosero, president of the Ecuadorian Cycling Federation (FEC).