Tokyo 2020 - Charlotte Worthington: BMX freestyle gold medallist grateful to no longer be a full-time chef

ByEurosport

Published 01/08/2021 at 05:13 GMT

From a chef in a mexican restaurant in Manchester to Olympic gold medallist, it has been quite the journey for BMX freestyle champion Charlotte Worthington. She tells Eurosport she is delighted that she has been able to achieve her dream of being an Olympic BMX freestyle champion. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Team GB's BMX freestyle gold medallist Charlotte Worthington says she is grateful she is not working a full-time job as a chef anymore after creating history at Tokyo 2020.

Worthington was working as a full-time chef at a Mexican restaurant before BMX was identified as an Olympic event in 2017.

Less than four years later and she has become an Olympic champion after producing a historic backflip 360, the first time it has ever been done in women's BMX freestyle history, to seal the medal.

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Worthington has expressed her sheer delight at achieving her dream with her score of 97.50 edging out USA's Hannah Roberts (96.10) for top spot.

"I'm still waiting to wake up," she told Eurosport's Radzi Chinyanganya after winning gold.

"I've been dreaming of this for years. I've worked so hard and it's going to have to sink in tonight because I am on cloud nine.

"Hannah has made me push so hard from day one and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't actually be here today pushing so hard. She has made me work really hard so I'm thankful for Hannah for being there.

"Riding scooters has made me into the person who I am so it's helped me pick up a BMX. I've picked it up kind of quick and the rest has just been gruelling hard work really.

I'm so grateful to not be working full-time in a kitchen anymore.

Charlotte Worthington

Image credit: Getty Images

• Worthington seals stunning gold with history-making backflip in BMX freestyle

Worthington crashed when she tried to produce a brave 360 backflip on her first run, but the 25-year-old expertly executed it on the second run.

She was proud that she showed the courage necessary to pull the move off in her pursuit of a medal.

"I just wanted to give myself the best chance I could at doing it [360 backflip]," she added. "It's so easy to back down from that stuff and if you focus on the fact I fell it's scary trick.

"It's still scary even when you can do it, so I was just trying to focus on myself doing it. If you focus on the fact that I fell it's a scary trick even when you can do it.

"When you are overthinking tricks that's when you can make mistakes anyway. "

Chinyanganya asked Worthington how she could remain so composed doing her interview. She replied: "It's not sunk in yet mate, but there will be some tears tonight."

Afterwards Worthington watched from the stands as Great Britain's Declan Brooks .

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