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Reade: Fell but recovered
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British world champion Shanaze Reade overcame a first-run crash to earn the second seeding for Wednesday's BMX semi-finals.
The 19-year-old fell heavily during the first of two runs, but with the best time of the two runs counting, she was able to recover and post the second-best time of 36.882 seconds.
Reade suffered grazes to her arm and thigh as a result of her fall and was also holding her wrist as she got to her feet, but after being examined by the doctor was able to ride again.
Only France's Anne-Caroline Chausson went quicker - she recorded a time of 36.660 - but the Frenchwoman also crashed in her second run.
Excited
Reade, who as well as winning the BMX global title last year won a gold medal in the team sprint at this year's World Track Championships with Victoria Pendleton, now goes through to the semis where she will race alongside seven opponents in a series of races to decide the finalists.
Reade admitted there was no real explanation for her fall, but it has done little to dampen her enthusiasm.
"Mentally I was prepared, but then I did it and I washed out," she said. "I don't know why I fell. We looked at the video, it's just one of those things, that's BMX.
"It didn't affect me. I'm hurt a little bit now, but I'm also excited."
Her coach, Australian Grant White, also had no worries about her morale.
He said: "After about 10-15 minutes she was fine - she's so strong mentally.
"She was back laughing and her second lap was solid."
Favourite
As a result of her display in the seeding qualification round, Reade will be the highest seed in her semi and will be confident of securing a place in the final.
World number three Laetitia le Corguille of France is in Reade's semi but her best effort over the snaking 350 metres course was 0.263 seconds slower than Reade's best.
Reade feels her strong point is the race against her fellow riders - as opposed to the seeding race against the clock - and remains the favourite for gold.
In the men's event, Briton Liam Phillips bowed out at the quarter-final stage, suffering a dislocated shoulder in the process. After a crash he bravely remounted to finish his third and final race.
"I'm absolutely gutted," he said. "I felt it had gone as I changed my position. I was in a good points position up to then. If I had just stayed on the bike I would have been OK.
"I came here to get as much experience as possible for 2012 and I feel as though have achieved that.''
He finished seventh out of eight in his quarter-final series, having qualified only 28th of the 32 riders.
Like the women's event, the men's medals will be decided on Thursday.
