- Achieved the title of Australia’s inaugural BMX gold medalist
- Dedicated her victory to her brother, who experienced severe trauma in the sport
- Expressed her emotions with a few expletives, which Karl found entertaining
Australian BMX gold medalist Saya Sakakibara became an instant icon on Saturday morning with her tearful, expletive-laden celebrations in Paris, leaving Channel 9 star Karl Stefanovic in stitches live on air.
After enduring a devastating crash at the Tokyo Games, which saw her carried off on a stretcher, the 24-year-old from Gold Coast staged an emotional comeback at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines circuit on Saturday morning.
With her family in attendance, including her brother Kai, who suffered a life-altering brain injury during a World Cup event in Bathurst, Sakakibara delivered the performance of her life.
She made history as the first Australian BMX racer to secure Olympic gold.
‘Every setback I experienced, I thought to myself, I’ll give this another go,’ Sakakibara said post-race.
‘That determination fueled me. I knew it came down to a split second, and all I had to do was f***ing go for it…and I just f***ing went for it!’ she exclaimed.
An emotional Sakakibara dedicated her victory to her brother Kai, who experienced brain trauma in the sport in 2020
Sakakibara expressed herself with several celebratory expletives during her historic win
It was an intensely emotional moment for the newly crowned gold medalist, a sentiment later echoed by Channel 9’s Brooke Boney during an interview.
‘I think we have to let you go now, but I just wanted to remind you that we don’t mind an occasional cheeky F-bomb,’ Boney remarked.
Seizing the moment, Sakakibara leaned into the microphone and shouted: ‘Let’s f***ing go!’
‘Is that the trifecta? The third one?’ asked co-host Sarah Abo.
Sakakibara led the final without contest, exhibiting a dominant performance
Karl Stefanovic found laughter in Sakakibara’s exuberance, stating she had earned a free pass
Stefanovic was left in laughter, struggling to contain himself as he wholeheartedly praised Sakakibara’s spirited outburst.
‘She went for it—triple the fun, not just the usual double we see in the pool!’ he chuckled.
‘That needs to go on a t-shirt: let’s f***ing go. She’s earned our forgiveness.’
‘You know how much I enjoy swearing, but she has the ultimate license to do so.’
Earlier this week, Sakakibara tested positive for COVID-19, casting uncertainty over her competition prospects.
‘I had COVID all week and thought, ‘This can’t be happening.’
‘But I was determined to make it an Olympic gold moment.’
‘Regardless of the outcome, I wanted to ensure that the tears shed are tears of joy.’
