North Carolina’s own Perris Benegas just clinched the silver medal in women’s BMX freestyle on Wednesday at Paris’ Place de la Concorde. Benegas secured her medal with two clean runs, scoring 90.70 on her second attempt by impressing judges with her aerial maneuvers.
Despite the pressure of the finals, Benegas maintained a calm mindset, treating it as just another minute on her bike. Her first run scored 83.40, placing her fourth initially, the same position she qualified for the final. The higher difficulty of her second run earned her a better score.
Her win comes just 2 years after a leg injury that many thought would end her career.
Benegas is BACK. 👊🇺🇸
Two years after a leg injury, Perris Benegas wins silver at the #ParisOlympics! pic.twitter.com/kWT2gRHLGU
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) July 31, 2024
Perris Benegas wins SILVER in women’s BMX freestyle park for her first Olympic medal! 🇺🇸🥈 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/xQqsSnUeY8
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2024
China’s Yawen Deng won the gold, and Australia’s Natalya Diehm took bronze. American frontrunner Hannah Roberts, a five-time world champion, finished eighth after falling during both runs, despite entering the finals with the top score from Tuesday.
