BMX’ers Merel Smulders en Laura Smulders have won a European Championship medal on Saturday. The sisters missed the European title in Latvia. Merel won the silver, while Laura had to settle for the bronze medal.
The sisters had to concede the European title to Bethany Shriever from Great Britain. The 2021 Olympic champion immediately distanced herself from the rest after the start. Merel came close to Shriever in the final meters, but ultimately had to settle for silver.
Laura seemed to finish fourth, but had an acceleration in store in the final meters. The 31-year-old from Nijmegen finished on the European Championship podium for the seventh time in her career.
Laura has been European champion four times in her career (2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019). For the 27-year-old Merel, the silver medal is her fourth European Championship medal.
In total, four Dutch women competed in the final. Judy Baauw finished in sixth place, while Indy Scheepers finished seventh.
In the men’s event, Jaymio Brink failed to take home any precious metal. The 21-year-old BMX rider finished fifth in Valmiera, Latvia after a poor start. Frenchman Mathis Ragot Richard won the gold. Brink was the only Dutch man in the final.