Helensburgh’s Tokyo Olympic hopeful Kai Sakakibara has finished fourth in the final round of the 2019 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup at Santiago Del Estero, Argentina.
Competing in just his second world cup final for the year, the rider delivered an impressive display of racing as he lined up on the gate against the best in the world.
His other world cup final this year was in Papendal, the Netherlands where he also placed fourth, narrowly missing out on his first ever world cup podium.
While Kai had his day, his younger sister Saya, who is another with designs on being in Tokyo next year, couldn’t replicate her gold medal performance from the same venue last year and finished in the semis.
The men’s event was won by consistent Dutch superstar Niek Kimmann, with Switzerland’s David Graf in second and Argentina’s Gonzalo Molino in third.
All eyes now turn to 2020 where Australia will play host to four rounds of the world cup between Shepparton, Victoria and Bathurst, NSW before all attention turns to Tokyo.
