Crain nabs silver in 1st-ever Time Trial Superfinals at BMX Worlds

Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro-Rockstar) gave the United States its first championship class medal of these UCI BMX World Championships winning the silver in the junior women’s division of the new Time Trial Superfinal on Friday. Crain’s performance qualified her for Saturday’s main event where she’ll be joined by 23 additional Americans in pursuit of the world number one in elite and junior men’s and women’s BMX.

In all 24 Americans, more than any other national aside from France, posted initial time trial runs fast enough to put them in the top half of their respective divisions and move them through to Saturday’s main event. Eleven of those riders finished amongst the top 16 time trialists moving them into the Time Trial Superfinal, a first-time medal event at the world championships.

“Last year UCI points were awarded for the time trial but this is the first year for the TT world title,” explained USA Cycling BMX Programs Director Mike King. “The elite cruiser category was eliminated to make way for the new medal event. It’s exciting; the crowd was really into it. It changes the way teams and riders approach the time trial portion of the event. We certainly focus a bit more on time trials now.”

Crain was the only of those 11 Americans to make a second run for theTT world title that was able to pull in a medal, finishing less than half a second behind Melinda McLeod after beating the Australian in the opening run.

Corben Sharrah (Tucson, Ariz./GT Bicycles) just missed an elite men’s medal in sixth with Nicholas Long (Lakeside, Calif./Haro-Rockstar)and Connor Fields(Henderson, Nev./Chase BMX)also finishing in the top 10. Several up-and-coming American under-23 riders, such as Jared Garcia (Victorville, Calif.) showed their strength, qualifying for the main ahead of some of the sport’s icons. Sixty-four of the 138 elite men’s starters qualified to move on to the main and the U.S. had more than any other nation with 11.

Other than one untimely crash, all of the American elite women in attendance will move on to tomorrow’s main, including veteran Arielle Martin (Spanaway, Wash./Intense BMX) who posted the best U.S. time in 10th.

All except one U.S. junior male also qualified, putting eight junior men through to the main. Pre-race favorite Rusty Nesvig (San Diego, Calif./Factory Intense) crashed on his Time Trial Superfinal but emerged unscathed and will contest tomorrow’s main along with 11th place finisher Lain van Oogle (Auburn, Wash.), 14th place Justin Posey (Winston Salem, N.C.) and five others.

Crain moved through to Saturday’s main with ease along with the two other American junior women, Danielle George (Palmdale, Calif./Supercross BMX) who finished sixth and Shelby Stacy (Bakersfield, Calif.) in 10th.

“Overall I was very pleased after the first round,” said USA Cycling BMX Programs Director Mike King. “Four guys made the top 16 in elite men, three junior men made super final, two junior women and two elite women; that tells us we’re strong as program. They all learned a lot and it puts us in good position going into tomorrow. Time trials are tough as difference is often less than half a second. You just can’t make any mistakes; you have to have a perfect run or you are done.”

The stage is now set for Saturday’s elite and junior elite mains, including qualifying runs, quarter finals, semis and the final. Watch Saturday’s elite and junior elite finals live on freecaster.tv.

In all 2,200 BMX-riders from 38 countries are racing for gold in 44 challenge classes and four elite classes over five days of competition in Copenhagen.