BBC to Broadcast Urban Cycling World Championships; Kieran Reilly Defends Title

Britain’s Kieran Reilly, the reigning BMX freestyle park world champion, will be competing at the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships in Abu Dhabi this week. Live coverage of the BMX freestyle park finals will be available to watch on BBC Sport on Saturday, 21 December. The Urban Cycling World Championships commenced on 17 December and encompass three distinct disciplines: freestyle park, freestyle flatland, and trials. Within the park event, women are divided into three qualifying groups to determine finalists, while men compete in four qualifying groups before progressing to a semi-final and then the final. World champion Kieran Reilly aims to secure his rainbow jersey once more, following his victory in Glasgow last year. The world number two has experienced a successful year, earning silver at his inaugural Olympics in Paris for Team GB and being crowned national champion in November. Fellow British competitor Reef Way, aged 19, is set to make his debut at the World Championships, having secured third place at this year’s national championships. Way currently holds the 11th position in the world rankings. Anthony Jeanjean, ranked world number one, seeks to improve upon his 24th-place finish in Glasgow last year. The French athlete claimed bronze at this year’s Olympics, where Reilly surpassed him for the silver medal. Kieran Reilly secured last year’s title by defeating Australia’s Logan Martin and the USA’s Nick Bruce. Great Britain’s Sasha Pardoe will be striving to reach the women’s final, having achieved national and European titles this year in what marks her most successful season to date. Pardoe is currently ranked eighth globally. Pardoe placed 11th at the championships held last year. On Saturday, 21 December, coverage will be accessible via iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the BBC Sport app. The women’s BMX freestyle park finals are scheduled for 13:25 GMT, with the men’s BMX freestyle park finals following at 15:55. Sandi Toksvig will be joined by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi, and Alan Davies. Audiences can participate by singing along to tracks from Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, and other artists. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are returning for the festive events at Longleat Safari Park. Topics range from the presence of microplastics in our air, soil, and waterways to the extent of food waste during this period of the year. © 2024 BBC. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Further information regarding our approach to external linking is available.