2025 UCI BMX Racing World Championships – Copenhagen, Day One

New Zealand’s elite BMX racers made a strong start at the 2025 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Copenhagen, with eight riders progressing to the quarterfinals on the first day of elite competition.

Early rain made for challenging conditions, especially during the junior racing, but the track improved throughout the day, allowing the Kiwi contingent to shine as they fought through the qualifying rounds and elimination motos.

Among those advancing are Olympians Leila Walker (Cambridge) and Rico Bearman (North Harbour), both progressing to the quarterfinals in the elite divisions. They are joined by Michael Bias (North Harbour) in the elite men and Megan Williams (Rotorua) in the elite women.

In the junior and under-23 categories, Lily Greenough and Finn Cogan (both Cambridge), Jack Greenough(Cambridge), and Brooke Penny (Te Awamutu) also secured their spots in the next round.

Standout Performances Across All Categories

Lily Greenough, fresh off a strong European campaign, continued her impressive form in junior women, winning her heat with the second-fastest time overall to book a direct ticket to the quarterfinals.

In junior men, Finn Cogan delivered a commanding performance, advancing through his heat and then winning his one-eighth final moto to secure his quarterfinal place.

Unfortunately, Cooper Richardson (North Harbour) and Nicholas Cowie (Southland) were eliminated after being forced into the Last Chance motos.

In under-23 women, Brooke Penny had a smooth ride, placing third in her opening moto to qualify directly for the quarterfinals.

Jack Greenough had a more dramatic path in under-23 men, finishing fifth in his first round before bouncing back to win his Last Chance moto with the fastest time of the round. He then came within 0.004 seconds of a win in his next race, advancing confidently to the quarterfinals.

Elite Riders Show Grit and Skill

The elite men’s racing demanded full commitment and clever racecraft. Michael Bias was edged to fifth in his first round but fought back to take second in his Last Chance moto. In the one-eighth final, he executed a daring inside move, pushing from the back of the pack to secure fourth place and a spot in the quarterfinals – just half a second behind the winner.

Rico Bearman rode smartly in his opening heat, finishing third. Despite a mistake in the one-eighth final, Bearman recovered well to finish fourth and progress to the quarters, where his explosive gate speed will be key against the world’s top contenders.

Bennett Greenough was narrowly edged out of the quarterfinals, finishing just 0.01 seconds from the final qualifying spot in his Last Chance round.

In elite women, Leila Walker impressed in her first-round moto, finishing second behind Dutch star Laura Smuldersand displaying excellent bike handling. She now faces both Smulders sisters – Laura and Merel – in her quarterfinal.

Megan Williams just missed direct qualification but came back strong to win her Last Chance moto, earning a spot in the quarterfinals, where she will face tough competition including Olympic champion Saya Sakakibara and fellow Australian Lauren Reynolds.

Looking Ahead

With eight Kiwi riders still in contention, quarterfinals action promises high drama and intense racing as the world’s best BMX athletes battle for podiums and world titles. Stay tuned for more updates as the championships continue.

📊 Full results: https://www.tissottiming.com/2025/bmxwch/schedule

📺 Watch live:UCI YouTube Livestream

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Article added: Sunday 03 August 2025