Two years on from her Tokyo Olympic disappointment, Australian BMX champion Saya Sakakibara is gearing up for another Games challenge in Paris in 2024.
The 24-year-old Gold Coast rider heads into the final two legs of the BMX Racing World Cup at Santiago del Estero in Argentina this weekend holding a narrow lead at the top of the global rankings.
Sakakibara and Britain's Olympic gold medallist Bethany Shrievers traded wins in last weekend's two races at the Argentinian circuit as they battle for the world title.
Everything is left to race for: with 500 points on offer to the race winner, Sakakibara tops the rankings with 2775 points to Shrievers' 2668.
Netherlands rider Laura Smulders (1977), the USA's Alise Willoughby (1961) and Switzerland's Zoe Claessens (1878) also have an outside chance of snatching the title.
"Aside from the results, the way that I was riding was a huge confidence booster," Sakakibara said after last weekend's victory.
"I was surprised to still have the series-leader plate, which is awesome. I'm here to win and it gave me a good confidence (boost)."
Sakakibara made her Olympic debut in Tokyo but had to take an extended break from competition after a semi-final crash left her with lingering concussion symptoms.
She was riding with added motivation for her brother Kai, who suffered a shocking BMX race injury in February 2020 and was in a coma for two months with severe brain trauma.
A medal favourite in Tokyo, she has one eye on living up to that billing next year in the French capital.
"Paris is definitely a big goal for me," she said.
"I raced at Tokyo and it was a little bit of a disappointing result, so I'm definitely (looking) for redemption.
"But that's 10 months away, still a long way away. There's still a few world cup (races) ahead of that, and even a world championship.
"It's one race at a time for me ... but that's what I'm working towards."
