Beth Shriever's rapid recovery sets pace for bid to defend BMX racing gold
Entering the last stretch of the BMX World Championships, Beth Shriever lost control, strayed off course, and fell onto her left shoulder.
She was shocked and surprised when a minor accident happened just two months before the Olympics, causing her to grimace in pain. They had an X-ray machine at the event, which shows how common broken bones are in BMX racing, and it revealed that she had broken her collarbone.
When she first heard the news, she felt upset and worried that she wouldn't get the opportunity to defend her Olympic title, which she had won so spectacularly in Tokyo three years ago.
However, just six weeks later, she was back competing on the Paris track, aiming to achieve her goal of becoming a two-time Olympic champion. She will begin her quest for gold in tonight's quarter-finals.
The individual, who is 25 years old, stated: "I realized right away that I had injured myself, despite the rush of adrenaline. However, my physiotherapist was present and reassured me that there was ample time to recover before reaching Paris."
"I wasn't necessarily panicked, just a little disappointed and disheartened at first because I was really looking forward to the lead-up to the Games. But ultimately, nothing has really changed."
Shriever had experienced injuries before, but never to her collarbone. While her collarbone healed quickly, the more challenging aspect was building up the strength in the tendons and muscles surrounding it. Now fully recovered physically, she is also feeling mentally stronger after successful test rides in Paris on a course that is well-suited to her.
"This course really highlights my abilities," she mentioned. "It's quite lengthy and even, requiring a good amount of pedaling on the straight stretches and includes some challenging jumps. It matches the way I ride. I need to gain confidence from this."
Shriever became a memorable figure in Tokyo, winning gold right after her Team GB teammate Kye Whyte secured silver in the men's race. He lifted her up in a celebration that she will always remember.
“It was quite surprising,” she explained. “Kye acted on impulse and lifted me up in excitement. It was a memorable moment that I will always cherish. It’s an experience that no one can erase. We are just regular individuals who showcased our true selves and highlighted our strong teamwork.”
After winning at the Olympics, many champions find it hard to achieve the same level of success. However, Shriever has managed to win two world championships and a European gold medal.
In her blog post, she shared the reason behind her continued success. She expressed, "After Tokyo, I realized I have the ability to compete at the same level as the older girls. I didn't believe in myself before, but after that moment, everything changed."
She claims she is more powerful and quicker at this moment, but she rejects the notion that she is being targeted as the reigning champion.
She mentioned that she doesn't feel like she is protecting anything. She believes that it is a fair competition and whoever performs the best on that day will win the gold medal.
