A painful crash has denied Australia's Caroline Buchanan the chance to defend her title at the BMX world championships.
The 23-year-old was left battered and bruised after crashing during her last heat for the elite women's event in Rotterdam on Sunday, the final day of competition.
She pushed on to win her quarter-final, but, with a strapped wrist and arm, a shoulder injury and badly swollen knee, couldn't hold on in the semi-final - a fifth-place finish not enough to qualify her for the final.
"Pretty gutted how today's racing went... Not the way I wanted to defend the World Title! #ThatsBMX," Buchanan tweeted.
Colombia's Mariana Pajon won the race, with America's Alise Post finishing second.
The heartbreak came the day after Buchanan grabbed a silver medal in the time trial.
It was better news for countryman Sam Willoughby, though, who won the elite men's supercross title - less than 24 hours after being crowned time trial champion.
Canada's Tory Nyhaug was second in the race, ahead of Britain's Tre Whyte in third.
"It's pretty special for me to win this," an emotional Willoughby said, dedicating the win to the late mother of American girlfriend and fellow competitor Post.
"It's incredible, you train hard and set your goals, it's all realistic on paper but doing it is a whole different story."
Ten years ago to the day, Warwick Stevenson became the first Australian to be crowned elite world champion in the Netherlands.
"To come back 10 years later and do it in the same country is pretty cool, so I'm stoked," Willoughby added.
In the junior races, Niek Kimmann of the Netherlands won the men's title, and Domenica Michelle Azuero Gonzalez of Ecuador topped the women's field.
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