Chausson wins first BMX gold

Aug 22, 2008

Written by Bart de Jong

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Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won the gold medal while pre-race favorite Shanaze Reade of Great Britain crashed out to finish last in the Women's race as BMX made its Olympic debut on Friday, August 21. Laetitia le Corguille of France avoided three pile-ups in the final to claim silver, while US athlete Jill Kintner edged Sarah Walker of New Zealand to score bronze.

Reade overcame a first-run crash in the semifinals to qualify for the

gold medal round and roared into the decisive first corner in the front position on Friday.

Ex-mountain bike downhill world champion Chausson took a low, inside line to sneak past her British rival and surged into the lead as two others crashed in their wake.

Two-time defending world champion Reade fought to within a bike's length of Chausson going into the final corner and tried a risky, inside-line pass. She clipped Chausson's rear tire and crashed out of the medals.

Le Corguille, first in her qualifying heat, took advantage of the opening to dart past Reade to claim silver.

Kintner, a three-time Four-Cross world champion riding with injured knee ligaments, surged late to fend off Walker for the bronze.

Chausson, 30, has taken the first-ever Olympic gold medal in BMX after coming out of retirement in 2006 once BMX earned its Olympic-sport designation. Chausson won 13 downhill, dual slalom and Four-Cross world titles in mountain biking, but the downhill discipline is not an Olympic medal sport.

Photos by: Lu Mingxiang/Xinhua, Zhang Duo/Xinhua, Hou Deqiang/Xinhua