In a dramatic BMX Freestyle final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, both Argentina and China secured their first gold medals, while several defending medalists fell out of the competition under the sweltering heat. Argentina’s Jose Torres Gil, 29, showcased impressive performances in his Olympic debut. He soared high from the ramp and achieved a score of 94.82, which held up throughout the final. “So many emotions, it’s hard to explain. I try to hold onto the moment and not cry because I’m not someone who likes to show my emotions too much,” Torres Gil told media.

China’s Deng Yawen, 18, also made her Olympic debut and won the gold medal in the women’s category. Her performance comes as a result of a decade-long focus from China on increasing medal output in sports where they previously lacked dominance. Deng scored 92.60 for her first ride, executing a series of high-flying tricks, including her signature move, the “double tailwhip.” “After my first ride, I was on top, and it gave me more confidence to improve my performance in the second ride,” said Deng.

Deng and her teammate Sun Jiaqi are both coached by Venezuela’s Daniel Dhers, a silver medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Sun also had a crash during her second run, but the crowd cheered for her, as a small Chinese flag waved among the onlookers at Paris’ Place de la Concorde.

American Perris Benegas took silver, marking the second silver medal for the United States in this discipline following Hannah Roberts’ performance in Tokyo, while Australia’s Natalya Diehm secured the bronze. Multiple crashes cost favorites a chance at the podium at Concorde, which featured the 3,000-year-old Luxor Obelisk as a backdrop. Defending men’s champion Logan Martin from Australia, who previously won gold, crashed twice and ended in last place after a spectacular yet unfortunate performance.

Roberts also delivered an impressive routine but crashed during her second run while attempting to surpass Deng, who had already posted the highest score. The competition featured two runs of one minute each, providing athletes with an incentive to take more risks than in the qualifying round, where scores were averaged between runs.

While the final rewarded those who played it safe, it did not diminish the impressive performance of Great Britain’s Kieran Reilly, who won silver in his Olympic debut. Frenchman Anthony Jeanjean, a favorite for gold on home soil, expressed disappointment with his performance, stating, “I didn’t come for bronze, but for gold… I need to take time to process this mistake.” However, he managed to put things into perspective: “Place de la Concorde, the Olympics in France with an audience and a medal around my neck. It won’t happen again, so I enjoyed the moment.”