Sakakibara scores debut win in USA BMX Pro Series

Saya Sakakibara has returned to top-flight competition with a bang, taking her first USA BMX Pro Series win over the weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Competing on Friday at the Legacy Nationals, Sakakibara scored top-three finishes in all three motos to claim the round win.

Although a crash scuppered hopes of a repeat victory on day two, the Southlake-Illawarra rider did enough to finish third overall on Saturday.

After sustaining a concussion in June, Sakakibara spent most of last season away from competition.

The 23-year-old returned to racing at the AusCycling BMX Racing National Championships in November, where she successfully defended her national title . Last month, she added the 2023 Oceania Championship to her tally.

However, the Legacy Nationals were Sakakibara’s first true test against the world’s best since her concussion: four of the top 15 riders in the world were also competing in Tulsa.

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Fellow Australian Lauren Reynolds continued to build on her legacy, taking overall fourth and second respectively over the weekend.

In the men’s competition, Izaac Kennedy had a frustrating event. The Brisbane rider was disqualified after leading the Main moto on day one from start to finish, while a crash on Saturday denied Kennedy another chance of a podium finish.

Full Results

The next stop of the USA BMX Pro Series is the Music City Nationals in Nashville from May 26–28.

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Main Image: Loam Photography