Petch out in semis

Rebecca Petch bowed out of the women’s BMX competition today, unable to progress to the final.

Petch, 23, finished 6th in her semi-final group of eight with 16 points. She needed to be in the top four to advance. A score of 14 would have probably got her through.

In her three races she finished 4th (47.597s), 6th (46.095s) and 6th (50.761s). She needed a top four finish in her final race to go through but got away very slowly and lagged some distance behind the field until the two leaders crashed and allowed those behind to come through and grab higher placings.

The Te Awamutu rider did well to be riding at all today. She had a bad fall on the first day and injured her shoulder and rode today in considerable pain.

Looking back over her time in Tokyo, Petch said her goal was to get into the final and go for it from there. “It did not quite work out although I got close, despite the injury. I am just proud of myself for picking myself up today, and putting it all out on the track.”

She said the shoulder injury made it difficult.

“It was tough but with all the help here and with everyone lifting me up and believing in me and telling me I could do it meant the world.

“Once you get on the start line in BMX you go for it and you don’t feel the pain until you cross the line. That’s what happened today again.”

She said she was disappointed she had not really attacked out of the gate in the last raced. “That was the only time I did that in the competition. My gates are usually my strongest point, so I am gutted that back myself and get out cleanly.

“But it makes me more and more eager to look ahead for Paris in three years to prove I can be in that top eight.”