Colombian BMX rider Mateo Carmona has performed very well in Paris 2024.
Photo: COC
It was a bittersweet day for Colombia at the spectacular BMX track of the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines complex, near Paris. Of the four national riders who participated in the semifinals, only one managed to advance to the finals.
In the race for the medals, Mateo Carmona from Antioquia finished sixth, in a race dominated by the French riders Joris Daudet, Sylvain André, and Romain Mahieu, who took the top three spots on the podium.
Carmona finished third in the first heats and fourth in the third, which resulted in him placing fifth overall and competing in the final, where he had limited options against the prowess of the locals, who are the leaders in the world rankings.
His teammate Diego Arboleda was eliminated after placing seventh, sixth, and fifth. He improved as the heats progressed but not enough to break into the top eight overall, finishing in twelfth place.
Mariana Pajón narrowly misses another Olympic final
In the women’s category, triple Olympic medalist Mariana Pajón continues to fight among the elite. She finished fifth, third, and seventh in her final heat after an incident that almost caused her to fall. Still, she kept racing to finish respectably in ninth place overall. Gabriela Bolle, who was participating in the Olympics for the first time, finished sixth, fifth, and eighth.
The gold medal winner, with ease, was Australian Saya Sakakivara, followed by Dutch rider Manoon Veestra and Swiss rider Zie Claessens.
“I’m leaving with more desire and more hunger for victory heading towards Los Angeles 2028. This entire cycle alongside Mariana Pajón has been a wonderful learning experience. I had a fall 15 days ago and didn’t know if I would be racing, so I’m left with a bittersweet feeling. I can’t be too hard on myself; I made it to the semifinals, which should be exciting for me,” said Gabriela Bolle.
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