Jose Torres Gil of Argentina claimed a sensational gold medal in the men’s BMX freestyle at La Concorde on 31 July, achieving a stellar score of 94.82. This victory marked Argentina’s first-ever individual medal in this event and their first medal at Paris 2024.
Team GB’s Kieran Reilly secured silver with a score of 93.91, while French favorite Anthony Jeanjean captured bronze with a score of 93.76.
Torres Gil’s flawless first run, which earned him 94.82 points, remained unmatched throughout the competition. This win adds to his impressive record, having previously won silver in men’s freestyle park at the 2019 Pan American Games and gold in the same event at the 2023 Pan American Games. This Olympic debut gold further cements his status as a top contender in BMX freestyle.
Reilly, who was in third place before his final run, managed to pull off an impressive score of 93.91 to secure the silver medal. The 23-year-old from Newcastle, England, has shown great promise in recent years, winning gold in freestyle park at both the 2023 European Games and the 2023 World Championships.
Jeanjean, who had previously won silver at the 2023 European Championships and the 2023 European Games, displayed resilience after a disappointing first run score of 3.22. He bounced back with a strong second run, scoring 93.76 to secure the bronze medal for France.
Logan Martin, the gold medalist in this event at Tokyo 2020, was unable to defend his title, finishing with a high score of 64.40 on the day.
JOSE TORRES GIL CREATES HISTORY FOR ARGENTINA
Torres Gil expressed his pride in achieving this historic milestone for Argentina. “I still haven’t thought about what I just achieved. Argentina has not won a single medal until today, and my medal is for everybody,” Torres Gil said. “I’m representing all of these athletes, and I’m really overjoyed to bring back a gold medal in this sport to Argentina, and I hope that the Argentinian people are also happy about it.”
Reilly celebrated securing the second consecutive medal for Team GB in men’s BMX freestyle, following Declan Brooks’ bronze in Tokyo. “It’s a crazy feeling,” Reilly said. “I watched Tokyo three years ago, so to get here was a dream of mine, and to be on the podium feels amazing. I wanted to play to my strengths and try and score some points and some criteria that people didn’t expect. So I went away and put in the work and I really left it on the course.”
Jeanjean, proud of his performance in his home country, overcame a fall in his first run to capture bronze. “It’s not easy. I haven’t felt all week was the first one of the week, so I wasn’t expecting it at all, but it’s the name of the game,” he said. “I know that it wasn’t over yet and that I had to give it all I had for the second run. That’s what I did. It went well, despite the couple of mistakes made.”
MEN’S BMX FREESTYLE CYCLING PODIUM
| Medal | Athlete | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Jose Torres Gil | Argentina | 94.82 |
| Silver | Kieran Reilly | Great Britain | 93.91 |
| Bronze | Anthony Jeanjean | France | 93.76 |
This thrilling event at Paris 2024 showcased the incredible talent and determination of BMX freestyle riders, marking a memorable day in Olympic history.
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