Name
Kai Sakakibara

Sponsors
Redline, Skins, Blackman Bicycles

Age
11

Date
29 May 2008

Venue
Taiyuan, China

Race
BMX World Championships 2008

Class
12 boys

Result
3rd

Weather
Windy and cold in the morning but perfect in the rest of the day

Course condition
Great. Nice and smooth

Comment
This year there weren’t so many people. So there were only 3 heats and the final. It was a very good track. It had a big start hill and lots of technical jumps. I think the 3rd straight was the hardest.

There was a very fast USA kid in my heats. I was going very well and I tried to keep up with him. I stuffed up in the rhythm section a couple of times but I got 2nd, 2nd, 3rd in the heats and made it into the final.

There weren’t that many people, but there were a lot of fast guys there. The two USA guys were really flying.

I did some warm-ups and got ready for the race. I was allocated lane 2 for the final. This was my second time in a World final; I was happy and a bit nervous.
I got a good gate, but wheelied down the start a bit. The two USA guys got awesome starts and led the pack into the first turn. I came into the first berm 3rd. the USA guy in second stuffed up a bit through the second straight. I nearly caught up with him but he was blocking the lane so I couldn’t get past. We came into the second berm. I was still coming 3rd. I jumped to the side a bit on the rhythm section and stuffed up but no one caught up with me. I stayed in the 3rd position and finished 3rd. I was very happy with the result and really liked
the trophy.

It was a fantastic event, and I really liked the track Tom the track builder made (Tom also made the Adelaide track and the World Olympic track).
China was great; I really had fun travelling around and racing. Next year, the Worlds will be at Adelaide, I’m going to train hard and try to get 1st.