>> Cyclist Iveta Miculyčová (pictured on June 16, 2023).
Krzeszowice (Poland) – Iveta Miculyčová defended the continental title in freestyle BMX at the European Games in Poland. The 17-year-old Czech cyclist won the gold medal in the area in Krzeszowice by less than three points. Kateřina Jalůvková was seventh in the twelve-member final of the Olympic park discipline.
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World Championship bronze medalist Miculyčová advanced to the battle for precious metals from fourth place in the qualification. In the final, she already led after the first run and improved her score even further to 82.33 points in the second. “I secured the first run beautifully, I didn't play, everything went great and in the second run I was able to score with my backflip barspin trick, which is actually a backflip with the handlebars spinning,” she said.
Only the American Hannah Roberts performed this trick in the race before her. “I trained for it for a long time, I basically kept it a secret, because no one knew that I wanted to show it here, and it fell over there,” the former champion rejoiced. She worked on the new trick for two months. “But every day, always in the mud, fifty times a day. So it wasn't just that I jump on it once and immediately go straight, it required proper training,” she approached.
On the podium behind her just like a year ago in Munich, Kim Lea Müllerová from Germany and France's Laura Perezová ranked. Miculyčová was excited about her second continental title in a row. “I am extremely happy, the ride turned out exactly as I imagined,” she reveled.
Qualification winner Nikita Rose Ducarrozová from Switzerland finished without a medal. The silver medalist from last year's World Cup and Olympic bronze medalist, who won the European title in 2021, had a fall in the first run and had to settle for fourth place in the second.
The Czech Republic is also represented in the men's final thanks to Tomáš Beran , who advanced from ninth place in the qualification.
ME and European Games in freestyle BMX in Krzeszowice:
Women: 1. Miculyčová (ČR) 82, 33, 2. Müllerová (Germany) 79.66, 3. Perezová (Fr.) 77.00, …7. Jalůvková (Czech Republic)
