Kiwi BMX Racing riders Michael Bias, Leila Walker and Megan Williams earned elite podium placings at the UCI Oceania Championships in Brisbane.

The championships gave New Zealand and Australian BMX Racing riders an opportunity to win important medals and ranking points, and also compete on the revamped layout at the Sleemans Sports Centre ahead of the UCI World Cup next weekend.

Bias, who impressed at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Rotorua, finished runner-up to Australian Josh McLean in the elite men’s final with a photo-finish needed to separate the pair.

The Australian won all his motos but was only third in his semi to sneak into the final, while kiwi Rico Bearman won his semifinal and Bias made a strong comeback after a mistake at the start to finish second in his semi.

Mclean just edged Bias by 0.07s in the final with Bearman having a great start, but making a mistake and finishing sixth.

Australian Sienna Pal took out the elite women’s title with Cambridge rider Leila Walker runner-up, returning from injury that sidelined her from last week’s World Cup. Rotorua’s Megan Willians was third.

The Under-23 World Cup winner Bennett Greenough (Cambridge) was runner-up in the under-23 men and his brother, fellow World Cup winner, Jack was fourth, while Brooke Penny (Te Awamutu) was third in the under-23 women, which was run with the elite riders over three heats.

The New Zealand contingent will now prepare for the double rounds of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Brisbane next weekend.