Reade seeded fifth for Olympic BMX semi final (From Crewe Guardian)

Reade seeded fifth for Olympic BMX semi final

5:28pm Wednesday 8th August 2012 in Sport

BMX rider Shanaze Reade has been seeded fifth for Friday's semi final of the women's BMX competition after a solid opening performance at the London 2012 Olympic Velopark.

Finishing behind world time-trial champion Caroline Buchanan of Australia, New Zealand's Sarah Walker, Mariana Pajon of Colombia and France's Laetitia le Corguille, the 23-year old from Crewe completed the course in 39.368 secs as she battled to improve her position for Friday's semi final, where eight riders will go head-to-head in a bid to reach the final later the same day.

Three-time world champion Reade crashed out of the 2008 Olympic final in Beijing while attempting a bold move that would potentially have won her gold, but will this time hope to repeat the peformance that saw her win the test event at the Olympic Velopark last summer.

Reade will continue her Olympic dream in heat one of the semi finals on Friday, 3pm start, before hopefully progressing to the final later that afternoon, 4.30pm start.