The 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships ended early when strong winds forced organisers to cancel the elite finals at Chandler.
The event was due to take place at the Brisbane SX International BMX Centre on Sunday, 19 July 2026. However, strong westerly winds made the track unsafe. Riders could not begin the final rounds, and officials waited to see whether conditions would improve.
The Union Cycliste Internationale, known as the UCI, later cancelled the remaining elite races. The decision brought an unusual end to a major international sporting event at Chandler.
Completed results decide the medals
With no finals completed, officials used results from the last completed rounds to decide the medals.
Great Britain’s Bethany Shriever claimed the elite women’s title after recording the fastest qualifying time of 36.585 seconds. The result gave Shriever her fourth BMX world title. She had previously won in 2021, 2023 and 2025. Australia’s Saya Sakakibara took silver with a time of 36.908 seconds. Dutch rider Laura Smulders received bronze.
Sakakibara misses her final chance at gold
Sakakibara entered the Brisbane championships as one of the leading contenders in the women’s event. The 26-year-old won gold at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 and hoped to claim her first elite world title before an Australian crowd.
She advanced through Saturday’s racing and held the second-fastest time before the weather stopped further competition. After receiving silver, Sakakibara said she remained proud of the lap she completed. She also acknowledged that the result hurt more because the championships were held at home.
She had hoped to win gold but accepted that the weather was outside the riders’ control.
The local crowd also left a strong impression on her. Sakakibara said the support from spectators at the start hill made the occasion special despite the disappointing finish.
Asmus claims elite men’s title
For Australian rider Jesse Asmus, the completed results were enough to secure the elite men’s title.
Asmus became the world champion after setting the fastest time in the completed racing. He finished ahead of Great Britain’s Ross Cullen and France’s Mathis Ragot Richard. The title marked a major step in his career. Asmus had won his first Australian national title only three months earlier.
Still, the result brought mixed feelings.
Asmus said the win felt different because he did not race across the finish line in front of the home crowd. Even so, he recognised the title as an important achievement. He had also watched the weather forecast before Sunday’s program. As a result, Asmus treated Saturday’s laps as if they might decide the championship. He focused on recording clean and fast times while racing could continue. His leading time later proved enough to secure the rainbow jersey.
Jolly adds another Australian world title
Queensland rider Josh Jolly also secured a title through his strong qualifying performance.
Jolly won the under-23 men’s world title after recording the fastest completed time in his category. He posted 33.681 seconds. The result followed his move to Brisbane earlier in 2026. Jolly relocated to train in Queensland and work alongside riders including Asmus. The victory became his second BMX world title. He had previously won the junior men’s championship in the United States in 2024.
Australia also collected medals in the junior events. Cameron Gatt won silver, while Isla Basa secured bronze. The national team had faced an earlier setback when Izaac Kennedy crashed during practice on Friday. The crash ruled him out of the championships.
Chandler event adds to Brisbane 2032 experience
The championships also drew interest as Brisbane prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.
The BMX centre at Chandler showed how the venue handled a major international competition. The cancellation also highlighted the value of allowing extra time for weather delays. The World Championships did not have a spare day for the elite finals. Organisers also needed to prepare for the next stage of the program.
By comparison, the Olympic BMX program is expected to include a contingency day for weather delays and this may allow racing to continue later when unsafe conditions interrupt competition.
Racing continues at Chandler
Although the elite world titles ended early, the wider championships continued at the Brisbane SX International BMX Centre.
Challenge and Masters racing was scheduled from Wednesday, 22 July, to Saturday, 25 July, as part of an event involving more than 3,000 riders. These events bring together riders from many countries across a wide range of age categories. Asmus also remained at the venue in a team management role. He planned to support younger Australian riders through their events.
Published 20-July-2026
