Saya Sakakibara, an Australian BMX rider, overcame significant injuries and family struggles to secure Australia’s 10th gold medal during an emotional competition on Saturday morning.
Sakakibara’s brother, Kai, endured a traumatic brain injury while racing, and she herself has experienced two serious concussions that nearly pushed her to abandon the sport.
In her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021, Sakakibara suffered a major concussion after colliding with another competitor, prematurely ending her participation.
Kai, a skilled BMX racer, was ranked 10th in the world in February 2020, while his sister was within the top five.
Later that same month, Kai fell during a World Cup event and was placed in a medically induced coma for two months due to his severe brain injury.
This injury impacted his speech and movement on the right side of his body, necessitating a relearning of basic life skills.
Wearing her brother’s No.77, she excelled throughout the race, ultimately achieving an emotional victory.
Saya Sakakibara lets all the emotion out after leading the final from beginning to end
An emotional Sakakibara wore her brother’s number and dedicated the win to him after Kai Sakakibara suffered life-altering brain trauma while riding
‘I can’t believe this is real – it feels like a dream,’ Sakakibara expressed in astonishment.
‘I imagined this moment, visualizing being on the podium, hearing the National Anthem, and wearing the gold medal around my neck. It was all in my mind.’
‘Every setback I faced fueled my determination to keep trying. I wanted this, I truly wanted it.’
‘I knew it was all about a split second, and I just had to go for it.’
Sakakibara spotted her brother in the crowd, which intensified her desire to succeed in this coast-to-coast victory.
‘I saw Kai. I realized that no matter what, I was going to end up in tears,’ she stated.
‘I wanted to ensure it was a gold Olympic moment. Either way, there would be tears, and I wanted them to be tears of joy.’
‘She has expressed numerous times the fears she had to overcome, stemming from the concussions last year. The entire team, including her coach, believed in her abilities,’ said Australian dual Olympian and former world champion Caroline Buchanan.
‘She returned to BMX despite everything, including her brother’s traumatic brain injury, and said ‘I’m not going to let fear hold me back,’ and now she is an Olympic champion.’
Kai was present to witness his sister’s emotional victory, which she dedicated to him.
‘I’m shaking,’ he remarked.
‘It’s incredible because three years ago she had the potential but didn’t seize it, and now she is achieving it. It’s just unbelievable.’
Sakakibara’s French boyfriend, Romain Mahieu, was at the finish line to congratulate her as she collapsed in tears, having earlier claimed bronze in his own race that day.
‘I always knew she could do it. She has put in so much effort, and I couldn’t be prouder. This is everything she deserves,’ he said.
‘She has endured so much, nearly stepping away from the sport, and now she is showcasing her true talent. We will need some time to comprehend what just happened.’
Shibasaki’s French boyfriend Romain Mahieu congratulates her at the finish line
Sakakibara showcased an outstanding performance, consistently excelling by winning all her quarter-final heats on Thursday and all three of her semi-final races on Friday, achieving the two fastest qualifying times leading into the final.
However, in the past, the double World Cup overall champion had occasionally stumbled throughout major single finals, notably faltering at the world championships in May after a strong preliminary showing.
She deemed that previous loss as a much-needed ‘kick in the rear’ for this significant challenge, arriving prepared to explode off the start line and secure the first corner during her seventh consecutive race.
From that point on, she was unbeatable, speeding away on the 400m track to finish in 34.231 seconds, well ahead of her seven competitors.
Just fifteen minutes earlier, another Australian contender, Izaac Kennedy, had a dramatic fall in the first corner of the men’s final.
Realizing he needed a rapid start for any chance of a medal, the 23-year-old Gold Coast rider attempted a quick maneuver in the first U-bend but clipped the track edge, tumbling at high speed.
While slumped in despair on the track, the positive news was that he managed to rise, remount his bike, and slowly make his way back to the finish line.
France dominated the men’s podium, with Joris Daudet taking gold, followed by Sylvain Andre.
