BMX freestyle rider Natalya Diehm has added to Australia’s Olympic medal tally in Paris with a bronze.
The Aussie, 26, was an early leader after scoring a 88.80 on her first run before China’s Yawen Deng stole the lead with a 92.50.
Diehm narrowly missed out on bettering her score in the second run with a 87.70.
Deng took home gold after slighting improving her first score while Perris Benegas from the US won silver with a score of 90.70 on her second run.
Diehm was over the moon with her performance.
Aussie BMX freestyle rider Natalya Diehm snared a bronze medal in Paris on Wednesday
Natalya Diehm was unable to better her first score on her second score
‘I have dreamed of this so long,’ she told Channel Nine afterwards.
‘I don’t know what to say.
‘This is my first medal ever in a competition and what better way to do it in an Olympic Games.’
Diehm, who has undergone five knee reconstructions, said her high scoring runs were a long time coming.
‘I had that front flip in the bag for the last Olympics and I haven’t been able to bring it out until three years later and I had been working really, really hard and as soon as I took off I just knew it was the best one I have ever done and I nailed it and I thought hold on for dear life,’ she said.
Diehm made Wednesday’s medal round after qualifying eighth in the heats with an 83.89 average for her two runs.
Fellow Aussie rider Logan Martin hopes to defend his BMX freestyle Olympic title later on Wednesday.
After Diehm’s medal, Australia was fifth on the medal tally with six gold, four silver and two bronze.
