Taranaki turned on the weather for the 2025 Oceania BMX Racing Continental Championships, staged by BMX New Zealand, and hosted by the New Plymouth BMX Club.  The event attracted over 500 event entries from Elite to age groups, with strong racing in excellent conditions at the Bell Block facility.

This is the pinnacle event on the NZ BMX calendar, and a showcase of the talent and passion so evident within the BMX community across Oceania.

In the age group competition, around 500 riders from New Zealand, Australia and Tahiti, aged 8-50+, vied for Oceania titles, raced over four qualifying rounds and finals.  Racing was fast and furious on a pristine track laid on by the host club.

The New Zealand riders were dominant achieving 30 age group titles with Australia gaining four and Tahiti two.

In the Championship competition, comprised of Under-19 (Junior), Under-23 and Elite classes, a 36-strong Australian contingent crossed the Tasman looking to challenge of field of 20 of New Zealand’s best BMX riders for the coveted Continental Champions jersey and all-important points towards their global ranking and World Championship qualification.

Two New Zealand Elite BMX Racing riders will carry the title of Oceania Champion on to the 2025 UCI world circuit after winning their respective titles.

Paris Olympian Leila Walker, a teenager for another month, and fellow Cambridge rider Bennett Greenough won their respective Elite titles at the championships, both dominating throughout the competition.

For Elite men, the title was decided on points over three motos or rounds, with Greenough winning all three of his motos. The Cambridge rider saved his best for last with a commanding effort to claim the title over Australians Jesse Asmus and Oliver Moran.

“I am pretty stoked. I have had a big off-season as I have not raced internationally since May last year so it was good to be back racing with the lads,” said Greenough.

“I took things lap by lap, and strung things together. I could see the benefits of the work in the off-season and happy with how things went and looking forward to the season.”

Meanwhile Walker, enjoyed two wins and a second in her motos, but stamped her class in the final, grabbing the holeshot out of the gate never looked in doubt.

“The day was competitive, mixed in with the juniors, under-23s and elites.” said Walker. “I was super happy to come out on top with some strong, tight racing amongst the girls.”

It was double celebration in the Greenough household, with 17-year-old Lily Greenough, a Junior World Championship medallist last year, finishing runner up to Walker in the combined Women’s final.

She held her own to grab a moto win with a third and fourth before an impressive final, edging out Rotorua’s Elite rider Megan Williams and winning the Junior honours.

However, the title honours were shared with the large Australian contingent, with South Australian Joel Marsh claiming the honours in the Men’s under-23, picking up two wins in his motos, second in the semifinal but producing the goods in the final to edge out compatriots Jordan Callum and Joshua Jolly in a photo-finish.

Queensland’s Isabella Schramm edged out Te Awamutu rider Brook Penny by the slimmest of margins to win the Women’s under-23 honours. They shared the spoils in the motos and in the combined final, Schramm pipped Penny by 3/100^th of a second to earn the title.

Sydneysider AJ Donald was the class of the junior racing, unbeaten throughout the day over three motos, semifinal and final despite a tight battle with fellow Australian Preston Murray.

Caption: Leila Walker (7) battles with Australia’s Sienna Pal (66) while Bennett Greenough flies high at the UCI BMX Racing Oceania Championships in New Plymouth. (Credit: Cole McOnie/Cycling NZ)

Article added: Thursday 06 February 2025