- Early leader after scoring 88.80 in her first heat
- He finished behind the Chinese Yawen Deng and the American Perris Benegas
BMX freestyler Natalya Diehm added to Australia’s Olympic medal tally in Paris with a bronze.
The 26-year-old Australian took an early lead after scoring an 88.80 in her first run before China’s Yawen Deng stole the lead with a 92.50.
Diehm almost improved his score in the second run with 87.70.
Deng took gold after slightly improving her score in the first heat, while Perris Benegas of the United States won silver with a score of 90.70 in her second heat.
Diehm was delighted with her performance.
Australian BMX freestyler Natalya Diehm claimed a bronze medal in Paris on Wednesday
Natalya Diehm was unable to improve her first score in her second run
“I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time,” he later told Channel Nine.
-I don’t know what to say.
“This is my first medal in a competition and what better way to do it than at the Olympic Games.”
Diehm, who has undergone five knee reconstructions, said his high-scoring streaks had been long expected.
“I had that front flip in the bag for the last Olympics and I didn’t get to do it until three years later and I was working really, really hard and as soon as I did it I knew it was the best one I’d ever done in my life and I did it and I thought, hold on tight for dear life,” she said.
Diehm had this message for aspiring BMX riders back home in Australia.
“Keep dreaming. Dare to dream,” he said.
‘It may take a long time, it may not arrive in time, but I’ve been riding since I was eight years old.
Natalya Diehm celebrates after securing a place on the medal podium
Diehm reached Wednesday’s medal round after placing eighth in the heats with an average of 83.89 in her two races.
Fellow Australian Logan Martin hopes to defend his Olympic BMX freestyle title later on Wednesday.
After Diehm’s medal, Australia was fifth in the medal table with six golds, four silvers and two bronzes.