A crash has forced Saya Sakakibara to make a decision she did not want to make. The Olympic champion has ended her 2026 BMX season after tearing a ligament in her right shoulder during training, turning her attention toward a longer road – one that could lead back to the Olympic stage in Los Angeles.
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The Australian revealed the news in an Instagram post, explaining that the crash happened three weeks ago on a jump she had taken hundreds of times before. “Three weeks ago I had a crash in training – they made a mistake on a jump that I’ve done hundreds of times. I knew instantly that I hurt my shoulder, and it turns out that I tore a ligament in my right shoulder.”
With the World Cups approaching, Sakakibara initially refused to let the injury end her season. She threw herself into rehabilitation, completing physiotherapy and daily sessions aimed at restoring movement and strength. The progress gave her hope that she might still return to racing.
That hope faded when she got back on the track earlier this week. Her shoulder simply was not ready. “I knew that it was not strong enough and it was not ready for racing,” she explained. That left the 27-year-old with little choice but to step away from competition for the remainder of 2026.
The decision hurts even more because Sakakibara was still chasing another World Cup crown. She currently sits second and had hoped to fight for a fourth straight overall title. Instead, she has chosen patience over a rushed comeback. “My shoulder just needs patience and time,” she said, making it clear that the bigger picture now matters more.
Saya Sakakibara knows how to bounce back from tough situations
For Sakakibara, setbacks have never followed a straight line. Her BMX career already carries the scars of crashes, disappointment, and moments when walking away seemed easier than getting back on the bike.
Tokyo 2020 remains the clearest example. Sakakibara crashed during the BMX racing semifinals and was stretchered from the track after going down with American Alise Willoughby. She suffered concussion symptoms and was left wondering what had gone wrong. “This is so disappointing. I feel like I let everyone down,” she said afterward.
Three years later, that painful Olympic memory looked very different. At Paris 2024, Sakakibara lined up in the BMX Racing final with the same fearless approach that had once made her a medal favorite. She took the holeshot, pulled away from the field, and crossed the line in 34.321 seconds to become the first Australian to win Olympic gold in BMX Racing.
The moment carried years of emotion. “I just envisioned this moment,” Sakakibara said after winning. “I visualized being on top of the podium, hearing the national anthem and having the gold medal.” The victory also completed a remarkable rise that included consecutive UCI BMX Racing World Cup overall titles in 2023 and 2024.
Yet even after reaching the top, Sakakibara admitted she had questioned what came next. In her recent conversation with Marlee Silva, she revealed that she had genuinely considered stopping after Paris.
“I was like, well, raced. I got what I wanted. Like, am I done?” she recalled. But something inside her kept pushing back. She felt there was still more she could give.
That mindset now matters again. Before the injury, Sakakibara had already entered the Olympic qualification period for LA 2028, knowing every World Cup would carry significance. She had also spoken about taking each race as it came rather than getting consumed by the bigger picture.
Now, she will have to take that same approach away from competition. “I’m going to listen to my body to make sure I’m back on my bike and I’m strong and ready for the next two years,” Sakakibara said. “I’m in high spirits and I’ll be back.”
For someone who once turned the tears of Tokyo into the gold-medal story of Paris, another setback does not erase the road ahead. This time, the comeback will begin with recovery rather than a starting gate.
And Sakakibara already knows what she wants waiting at the other end: a healthy return and another chance to race under the Olympic lights in Los Angeles.