Worthington out to prove she is best in Europe!
CHARLOTTE Worthington admits she’s catching another taste of Olympic fever after soaring into the BMX freestyle final at the multisports European Championships.
Manchester’s Tokyo Olympic champion, 26, racked up a formidable average score of 82.30 as a thrilling display in Munich proved too hot for Nikita Ducarroz and Lara Lessmann to handle.
Cycling is one of nine sports to feature at these multi-sport championships as the city’s iconic Olympic Park celebrates its 50th anniversary since hosting the Games in 1972.
Worthington thrived in the environment in the Japanese capital last summer and is loving getting more of the same 12 months down the line.
The 2019 European champion, who competes in the final today, said: “I’m so stoked to see it here it’s almost like a mini-Olympics.
“It’s super well-organised and the European Championships have smashed it - we’re really well looked after and it’s so nice.
“It’s a really good position to be heading into the final - I’ve got a couple of things I want to try and get out there and practice and hopefully that can come to fruition.
“But I definitely can’t tell you what they are! We had a hectic start to the year and a lot of the team have been travelling and competing for the best part of two or three months.
“We’ve had some good results and some not so good results – but that’s been a preparation for what’s to come for the rest of the year.
“We were out of practice but now I’d like to think we’re back in practice.”
Worthington captured the nation’s hearts at the Olympics last summer by pulling off a gravity-defying, dizzying 360-degree backflip to stun her rivals and grab a shock gold.
She’s blazing a trail for the next generation of BMX riders and one of them is Sasha Pardoe, the 16-yearold West Midlands star who also booked her place in today’s showpiece with a dazzling display.
Pardoe qualified in sixth with an average score of 59.00 and was hot on the heels of more experienced rivals Lessman – a junior Olympic champion – Laury Perez and Kim Lea Muller. Worthington added: “Sasha is coming along and it’s been awesome to have her here.
“It’s nice to have someone else there and have someone to talk to – she’s coming out of her shell.”
The European Championships Munich 2022, featuring athletics, beach volleyball, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, table tennis, triathlon, rowing, takes place August 11-21 August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the Germany city. Follow at bbc.co.uk/sport.