CONGRATS, CAROLINE BUCHANAN - 2011 BMX AUSTRALIA ELITE WOMEN'S NATIONAL CHAMPION!

It wouldn't be a national series race without rain!….Thursday racing went well for me and I was feeling comfortable in the muddy conditions. I won all of my heats progressing into the final where I had a great gate start getting out in the lead just in front of team mate Lauren Reynolds. I had a smooth lap with no mistakes and won the last round…making me the Elite Women's Australian National series winner :) Friday we had a rest day and I was able to go down to the track and cheer on my friends and Canberra team mates in their racing.

Saturday was the big day..the Australian National Championships where the winner on the day is named the "Australian Champion"…the sun was shinning, the weather was perfect and the track was fast. I won all of the heats leading into the final where I had 1st lane selection. I chose lane 2 getting another great start and getting out in front and out of trouble. I was actually really nervous before this race but I was determined to get off to a flying start and then hang on with out making any mistakes. The crowd was great and they created an awesome atmosphere at one of the best tracks there is in Australia. I knew leading into this weekend that my starts were good, I was fit, healthy, strong and confident…my goal was to try and race every lap as consistently as I possibly could with no mistakes.

I won the final making me the Elite Women's Australian National BMX Champion for 2011 in front of Gold Coast's Rachael Bracken on a countback from Western Australia's Lauren Reynolds after the pair tied for second place. A big thankyou to the Ince family for billeting me, making me sushi and looking after me. Another thanks to the ACT BMX State Team and the ACT Academy Of Sport. Over the next 3 weeks we have a training camp on our new World Cup standard BMX Supercross track in Brisbane in the lead up to the Holland World Cup round.

I will keep you posted :)

CAROLINE'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATED ON THE AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC WEB SITE!

Willoughby and Buchanan crowned National BMX Champions

01 May 2011

London Olympic hopefuls Sam Willoughby and Caroline Buchanan have produced world class performances at the 2011 BMX Australia National Championships, in front of a capacity crowd in Cairns on Saturday.

The pair were both crowned National Elite champions after a series of impressive rides on a frantic day of finals at the Cairns BMX Club.

Over 3000 people crammed into the track to see the cream of Australia's BMX High Performance riders and the emerging stars of the exciting addition to the Olympic program.

And they weren't disappointed as first 21-year-old Buchanan, from Tuggeranong in the ACT, charged out of the stating gate.

She was never headed as she led all the way to win her second National title from the Gold Coast's Rachael Bracken on a countback from Western Australia's Lauren Reynolds after the pair dead-heated for second.

"I was actually really nervous before this race but I was determined to get off to a flying start and then hang on with out making any mistakes," said Buchanan, who has now added her second National title to this year's Probikx Series win.

"The crowd was great and they created an awesome atmosphere at one of the best tracks there is in Australia.

"I came here to try and race as consistently as I possibly could and that's what I have done."

Then 20-year-old us-based South Australian, Willoughby, powered out of the pack on the first bend to beat a red-hot men's field, ahead of three-time Series winner and fellow South Australian Brian Kirkham and Victorian Joshua Callan third.

For Willoughby, one of the hottest riders on the world BMX circuit, it was his first Elite National crown and another step towards ticking the ultimate Olympic box in 15 months time.

"To come home from the US and win my first National Elite Championship is a huge thing because anything can happen out there on the track," said Willoughby.

"There is so much strong depth among the Australian riders with Brian (Kirkham) riding so well and Khalen (Young) also back from America.

"You have to be right on your game every time you race but it was exciting to come home, race well and do it in front of a big crowd."

Both Buchanan and Willoughby gave the Cairns BMX Club track a huge thumbs up.

"I have raced on the best tracks in the US and this track is right up there," said Willoughby.

"Congratulations must go out to BMX Australia and the Cairns club for putting on a great event on a great track."