Zoé Claessens’ first Swiss Olympic medal in BMX racing is the result of an improvement in performance.
The long-awaited medal for fellow favorite Zoé Claessens gave the Swiss BMX team a historic evening filled with great emotions. The bronze winner could hardly believe her luck. “I’m only now really realizing that I’ve won an Olympic medal and made Swiss history,” said Claessens, visibly overwhelmed, after the awards ceremony.
The first Swiss Olympic medal in BMX racing is actually a medal with a message. Claessens has been part of the elite for several years, and in 2022 and 2024 she was on the podium at the World Championships. But the last few days have not gone quite as planned.
Final tactic worked
The 23-year-old from Vaud seemed tense, didn’t really get going and struggled through the individual rounds more or less. Even in the semi-final on Friday evening she started cautiously, coming 5th in the first run. After an improvement run, Claessens only made it into the final of the best 8 in 6th place.
“The semifinals weren’t really my best,” Claessens admitted afterwards. “In the final, I put everything on the line and chose the outside lane 8 so that I could go all the way.” The plan worked perfectly. The Swiss athlete was on the podium from the first meters. She had no chance against the superior winner Saya Sakakibara from Australia, but second-placed Manon Veenstra (NED) almost caught her.
“I made a few mistakes on the home stretch, I was just too nervous.” In the end, Claessens was all the more delighted with the bronze medal, which he showed with a broad smile. “It was a dream of mine.”
BMX in the blood
With bronze, the daughter of BMX pioneer Vincent Claessens, who built the first BMX track in Echichens with friends in 1983 and founded the first club in Switzerland, delivered what she had expected of herself. With two victories this season, the second European Championship title in the individual and the second World Championship silver medal in her portfolio, the omens for Olympic medals were good. By jumping onto the podium, Claessens improved the Swiss BMX racers’ previously painful record at the Olympic Games.
Caption: Zoé Claessens was celebrated by her family. Keystone/Laurent Gilliéron
