Worthington back in love with BMX ahead of European Games

By Tom Harle

Olympic champion Charlotte Worthington revealed she has stepped away from competition to ‘recover' from a challenging time and rediscover her love for BMX freestyle.

The 26-year-old became an overnight star by winning Olympic gold and becoming the first woman in history to land a 360 backflip in competition.

For Manchester ace Worthington, the two years that followed were just as dizzying as that trick in Tokyo.

"Six months after the Games, my life changed massively," said Worthington, speaking as an ambassador for Bridgestone, who are proud to be a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner through 2024.

"I wasn't really training consistently and took every opportunity that I could to build my profile.

"That can't be sustained. Life has to go back to normal and then you're riding in the same empty skateparks with the same people. It's quiet, you could say it was boring."

On the field of play Worthington's comeback season in 2022 was a choppy one, by her own stratospheric standards.

She picked up a couple of World Cup medals, but finished fifth at the World Championships and last at the Europeans. Inflated expectations made those results tricky to navigate.

"It's been a challenge," she said. "There were some good highs and some real lows, as well, that have brought nothing but lessons.

"For me, it's a lot more mental than physical. When I'm in the right place mentally, the riding happens effortlessly. The hardest part is getting yourself into that place.

"Before Tokyo, no-one really knew about BMX freestyle. No-one really cared.

"I came home one day and my neighbour shouted out the window, ‘unlucky at the European Championships' and you're like, okay."

Worthington still made a slice of history last year, becoming the first woman to land a 720, but felt herself allowing single moments to define her performances.

"It's very easy to get sucked into chasing the next big trick," said Worthington.

"I think I did get trapped in that mentality at some point last year, wanting to make my runs as difficult as possible.

"You're looking externally and comparing to other riders who have difficult tricks. You've got to remind yourself what you're good at."

Worthington decided to withdraw from May's prestigious World Cup event in Montpellier, France, attended by all leading riders aiming for Paris 2024.

She was dealing with a minor injury in the lead-up to the event but her decision was based on different priorities.

"I think the injury shone a light on where my head was at," she said. "I thought, ‘what are my reasons for going, what am I doing it for?'

"I couldn't come up with an answer other than that I was doing it for other people. I was struggling to do it for myself.

"It was a scary decision to make. It took courage to do what was right for me, which is refinding my love for the sport.

"You put a lot on the back burner, your personal life, friends, family, being a good partner. You sacrifice it all for this one thing."

Worthington has taken a step back from competition and isn't putting a timescale on her return, with August's World Championships in Glasgow a key event for Paris qualification.

"I'm on the road to recovery and I've got the right people around me," she said. "I'm not going to promise I'll be at every contest this year.

"I'll be there if I'm feeling good and think it's going to go well. I can't look at Paris and guarantee how things will go there, because I've got to qualify.

"I'm training in a much more relaxed way right now until I feel that fire in my belly to go out there and take the risks and do it for the right reasons."

Bridgestone is proud to be a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner through to 2024. Adam Peaty and Charlotte Worthington are exciting to be Bridgestone UK ambassadors and launch the Prepare to Perform campaign. Bridgestone celebrates hard work and dedication of athletes on their journey to the Games, supporting them to prepare to perform on their journey towards Paris 2024.