Ryan Henderson makes history by clinching BMX final spot in Munich

It's a massive achievement from the Belfast man. 

WHEELIE GOOD: Ireland’s Ryan Henderson competes in the BMX Freestyle competition in Munich tonight. 

Ryan Henderson stood on the ramp ready to make history as the first Irish BMX freestyler at a major UCI championship yesterday evening and he made sure to catch the eye as he shook his green jersey with both hands at the camera.

It’s ten years since the man from East Belfast broke his neck in a motocross accident that eventually pointed him in the direction of his current craft but he has made it clear that this momentous leap is just one small step on the intended road to the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Twenty-nine riders had their go on the slopes of the famous Olympiaberg hill in these European Championships. Two goes, in fact. Henderson scored 66.00 first time round and 66.04 the second. It was enough to make the final. Just. Twelve went through and he finished eleventh.

A superb achievement.

Henderson’s performance came in the wake of Ireland’s first offering on two wheels, at the city’s Messe hall where the women’s track team pursuit combination of Emily Kay, Mia Griffin, Alice Sharpe and Kelly Murphy came in sixth in a field of nine.

That takes them through to today’s next round but they are out of contention for gold or silver and a bronze is highly unlikely as they take on a Polish team that finished one place behind them but some way further back in terms of times.

Confused? There's more tables and permutations across the nine sports and countless disciplines on display in Bavaria this week than your average maths class.

Ireland’s senior women’s gymnastics team finished 19th in their qualifiers at the Olympiahalle which, like most of the venues in use here for these Europeans, was resurrecting a role it first played for the 1972 Olympics.

Emma Slevin, Emily Moorhead, Bláthnaid Higgins, Halle Hilton and Kate Molloy were the gymnasts on duty, their total score of 140.929 leaving them some way short of the top eight places and passage through to the final.

"I’m happy with the team results, we definitely could have done better but it was great to bring a team together and be on international stage again, we really supported each other, too,” said Slevin.

Slevin and Halle also competed in the All-Around competition, finishing 48th and 38th respectively. “For me personally, bars was a little off but I finished strong on vault so I’m happy about that and I think I did well," Slevin added.

The honours there, and the first of the 1,300 medals that are to awarded here over the eleven days, went to Italy and Great Britain.

Asia D'Amato and Martina Maggio took gold and bronze with GB’s Alice Kinsella securing the silver but the uncertainty that Covid still brings to occasions like these was clear even aside from the public transport where everyone is wearing masks.

Austria's Nicolai Unzik finished second in the men’s boulder (sports climbing) qualifiers at Konigsplatz but only after a recent recovery. “It was pretty close. I got my negative test just a few days before the comp, so I was quite nervous the last couple of weeks,” he said.