Leila Walker (born 29 March 2005) is a BMX racer from New Zealand. She became New Zealand national champion in 2024 and was selected for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[1]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 March 2005 |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | BMX racing |
Early life
editShe is from Cambridge, New Zealand. She started BMX, inspired by watching her cousins racing, when she was six years-old.[2] She attended Cambridge Middle School and was a prolific winner at age-group level.[3] She has won her sixth consecutive age-group world title in 2018 at the age of 13 years-old.[4]
Career
editWalker won on her debut in the junior elite competition at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup round in Bogotá. [5] She won her first elite women’s New Zealand national title in 2024.[6]
Competing at the UCI BMX World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she finished seventh in the elite grand final, which earned a Paris Olympic Games qualification spot for New Zealand.[7] She was subsequently selected for the 2024 Summer Olympics in July 2024.[8]
Personal life
editShe is not related to compatriot rider Sarah Walker.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Leila Walker". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "QUICK QUESTIONS WITH LEILA WALKER". the bloombox. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ Iremonger, Sophie (9 August 2017). "Cambridge BMX rider wins 5th consecutive world title". cambridgenews.nz. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ McFadden, Suzanne (12 July 2018). "Just 13, and a six-time world champion". newsroom.co.nz. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "Two rising kiwi stars named for BMX Racing at the Paris Olympic Games". cyclingnewzealand. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "BMX New Zealand national championships 2024: Cambridge's Leila Walker claims big title". NZ Herals. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "BMX rookies shine at world championships". nzsportswire. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ McMillan, Cameron (1 August 2024). "Olympics 2024: Day six New Zealand athletes and events in action, how to watch in NZ, livestreaming". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ^ "Double World Champion – Leila Walker". bmx.net.nz. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2024.