Described as the ‘gymnastics of extreme sports’, BMX freestyle is an exciting action sport in which competitors perform stunts and tricks on a variety of obstacles including box jumps, hips, spines and quarter pipes. 

It is set to be one of the most thrilling competitions at the Games – and Australia is among the medal hopes in both the men’s and women’s competitions, which start with the seeding runs before the medal round on Sunday. 

Martin is one of the gold medal favourites in the men’s competition – check out the videos on his instagram and you will quickly see why he is one of the superstars of the sport. 

A two-time World Champion, three-time national champion and a star on the X Games circuit, the Queenslander has left no stone unturned in his quest for gold – including building his own track – while also training at the newly-constructed BMX Freestyle indoor training facility on the Gold Coast..  

In the women’s competition, Diehm is not only one of the most talented freestylers on the world stage, she is also one of the most courageous. 

The Queenslander has fought back from four reconstructions on the same knee to make her Olympic debut. And she has amassed an impressive record of success on her road to Tokyo, winning the 2019 Vans BMX Pro Cup, which featured events in the USA, Australia, Germany and Mexico, finishing sixth in her Australian team debut at the 2019 Urban World Championships in China, winning the inaugural Oceania Championships and becoming a three-time national champion.   

Competitors will each complete two 60-second runs with judges scores based on difficulty, creativity and execution. The two scores will be combined for a final average score that will determine the run order on Sunday. 

In the final, each competitor again has two 60-second timed runs, but this time the highest of those count as the final score. 

The action starts on Day 8 at 11.10am AEST with the women’s seeding runs, followed by the men’s runs from 12.20pm AEST. 

David Taylor