Charlotte Worthington has vowed to cook up a mouthwatering Munich storm as she prepares to unveil her ‘top secret’ flicks and tricks at today’s European Championships.
The Tokyo Olympic champion, 26, has enjoyed a searing rise after swapping shifts as a chef at a Manchester Mexican restaurant with her gravity-defying exploits on a BMX bike.
Worthington pulled off a stunning, never-before-seen 360-degree backflip in the Japanese capital to grab a surprise gold medal and will now take to the European stage bidding to reclaim her 2019 crown.
Worthington did not compete at last year’s event in Moscow and insists she’s hungrier than ever to deliver another dizzying display at Munich’s 1972 Olympic Park.
The two-time World Championship medallist, whose sport is one of nine featuring at this week’s European Championships, said: “I always dabbled with BMX, and I wanted a new challenge.
“So, I was faced with the choice – either stick with working 40 hours in the kitchen, or get paid to do something I love and take a chance on going to the Olympics.
“If you’ve never heard of BMX before, then picture gymnastics on a BMX bike.
“Ahead of Tokyo, we had to keep the 360 backflip under wraps, so we gave it the nickname ‘The Ferrari’.
“And sadly, my [tricks for Munich] are also a little top-secret!
“I wasn’t able to attend the most recent European Championships in Russia – so I definitely have a goal to win that title back.”
The gymnastics, rowing and climbing events will also get underway on Thursday before athletics, triathlon, canoe sprint, table tennis and beach volleyball then take centre stage.
But it’s Worthington who will help get the multi-sport show on the road in the sweltering Munich conditions.
The Manchester star knows she’s the one to beat after that scintillating Tokyo performance and will face a tough test from Germany’s Lara Lessmann on Thursday.
Lessmann, 22, is a junior Olympic champion and finished sixth behind Worthington in Japan last summer.
French freestylers will also pose a threat and Worthington says she cannot rest on her laurels heading into a pivotal stage of her career.
“The German and French teams are definitely the ones to beat,” she added.
“Lara [Lessmann] has been tough competition for a few years. Since I started it was always tough to beat her, and she’s always got some decent tricks up her sleeve.
“New faces are coming out of the woodworks this year, especially after the Olympics.”
The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the Germany city. Follow online at bbc.co.uk/sport
