Sakakibara and Turner return as Elite National Champions

02 Nov 2023 | 08:10 PMBy: AusCycling

Bodi Turner and Saya Sakakibara have returned as Australia’s BMX Racing Elite National Champions in 2023, claiming the crowns at Shepparton BMX Track today.

While Turner (Eastfield BMX) made it back-to-back titles, it was the third consecutive elite title for World No 2 Sakakibara (Southlake-Illawarra BMX).

The conditions could barely have been any better for the first national championships at Shepparton since 2019, with warm temperatures and low winds giving riders confidence to give it everything once the gate dropped.

Under the UCI BMX Championship regulations, the limited size of the Women fields meant riders would not race the first moto or a final, with results decided on points across motos 2, 3 and 4.

Regardless, the Women Elite category went as expected, with world number 2 Saya Sakakibara (Southlake-Illawarra BMX) dominating all three motos on the way to a comfortable win ahead of Erin Lockwood (Nerang BMX) and Gemma-Lee Thomas (Castle Hill BMX).

Saya Sakakibara

Sakakibara told AusCycling she was happy to finish the season on a high in front of her Australian fans.

“It feels really good to come off the most successful season I've ever had in my career, and then to come back here to Australia, it's really special coming back to Nationals. I think it's important for me just to come back when I can, to come to a National race,” Sakakibara said.

“Everyone supports me, watching the World Cups, sending messages on Instagram and things like that, so I think it's really important to come back, and just show my face and see everyone and watch them racing as well.”

The 2023 UCI World Cup winner also revealed how she kept herself motivated despite holding a clear edge over her opponents.

“We only had four on the gate, it was just me against myself, and I feel like I’ve said that in the World Cups as well, even though I'm racing at a high level at World Cups. I'm trying to go through the same motions, the same process to get the best out of myself in races like this as well.

“I think I'm just so performance driven, so I was just trying to get clean laps and just improve on my time every time.”

Elite Men

Bodi Turner (Eastfield BMX) and Max Cairns (Park Orchards BMX) emerged as the standout riders through the preliminary rounds of the Men Elite competition, with both athletes winning at least three motos including their respective semi-finals on the way to the big dance.

Track position proved to be critical in the final. Turner led the field through the first two corners and avoided a huge crash on the second turn that effectively wiped out the remaining riders, with only Jack Davis (Tamworth City BMX) the other rider to emerge unscathed.

Turner held off Davis for a comfortable win by half a second. Aston Wypych-Coles (Nerang BMX) was the quickest to negotiate the debris to pick up the remaining podium place.

Bodi Turner

Elated to win in his home state, Turner attributed his good form over the last few months to having a good support team and finding some luck with injuries.

“I came in feeling strong, for sure. I mean, all these boys are heavy hitters and that semi-final, all our hill times were so close, so I knew I had to get out, get a good first straight … I just got a little bit cleaner run into the first turn, and from then on it was just survival,” Turner said.

“I started the season really well and then I ran into some injuries, and it's so hard especially as I'm getting closer to 30 now. They're harder to manage, so it was a bit rough through the middle of the year, but I have a good team around me and we’re just working so hard and I've left no stone unturned trying to get these good results.”

Under 23s

Another big crash on the second turn also marred the Men Under 23 final, but it didn’t impact one of the riders of the day, as Joel Marsh (Happy Valley BMX) rode clear to win four straight motos and take the Under 23 crown ahead of Kane Gibbons (Pine Rivers BMX) and Rory Southwell (Macarthur BMX).

Meanwhile, Georgia Potter (Happy Valley BMX) won the Women Under 23 title unopposed.

Juniors

Another rider had the perfect day in the Men Junior category, with Josh Jolly (Ballarat-Sebastopol Cycling Club) winning every moto and the final by almost three seconds from Jay Lander (Byford BMX) and Josh Swiatek (Northern BMX).

The Women Junior competition could have gone to any one of Australia’s emerging superstars in the category, but a crash by Teya Rufus (Maryborough BMX Club) all but ruled her out from winning the title. Unfazed, Rufus bounced back to win the fourth moto from Bella May (Frankston BMX), but Sienna Pal’s (Terrigal BMX) wins in the first two motos was enough for her to secure the crown.

Elsewhere, Joseph Costa (Cairns BMX) and Jaclyn Wilson (Bendigo BMX) took home the Master Men and Masters Women categories respectively.

An air of sentimentality enveloped Shepparton BMX Track earlier in the day, with the venue hosting a National Championship for the first time since 2019, an outcome that must have seemed almost impossible after the track was almost destroyed by flooding just over a year ago.

The sentimentality continued during the opening ceremony, with Victorian John Grigg receiving a service award in recognition of his outstanding dedication to BMX Racing in Australia, that has seen him awarded with life membership of BMX Victoria, AusCycling, and Lilydale BMX Club since he began volunteering in 1982.

It is a day off for many of the BMX Championship riders tomorrow, with all of the age 20” BMX challenge classes competing.

2023 AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships