G4S 4teen athlete takes on the Olympic Park
24 August 2011
Newly crowned World Champion and G4S 4teen athlete Mariana Pajon competed in the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in London last weekend. This was the first chance for the world’s best riders to try out the new course ahead of next summer's Olympic Games in London.
All eyes were on the World Number One as she arrived in the UK, her presence generating a lot of interest from the British media. At a BMX track in Dagenham, Mariana spoke of her passion for the sport, her hopes of success on the Olympic stage next summer and what it would mean to her to win for her country.
You can watch her training and listen to her interviews with the Daily Telegraph and BBC ahead of the event.
The course in London has been deemed challenging by some of the world’s best riders but Mariana took it all in her stride, putting in an outstanding performance in the time trial on Friday and qualifying with the fastest time in a strong field of 39 elite female riders.
She cruised through both the semi and quarter finals in difficult weather conditions, battling strong winds and with rain causing delays in the schedule.
Unfortunately Mariana suffered a crash during the final race of the day, so finished in eighth place, but luckily she did not sustain any major injuries.
Mariana returned home in Colombia for some well-deserved rest before beginning her gruelling competition schedule again. Please check www.g4ssport.com for the most up-to-date news and results