(Molly Simpson/ Facebook)

By Ian Gustafson

Dream come true

Red Deer’s Molly Simpson claims first-ever World Cup victory in elite women’s division

Jun 19, 2025 | 11:18 AM

Red Deer’s Molly Simpson added another significant victory to her long list of accomplishments in BMX racing last weekend.

The 22-year-old recorded her first victory at the 2025 UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Sarrians, France in the elite women’s division.

On Sunday, June 15, she completed the final race in the second round of the World Cup in 34.555 seconds, beating out Great Britain’s Bethany Shriever who finished second in 35.146 and the U.S.’s Daleny Vaughn who placed third in 35.765.

“It definitely feels like a dream come true,” Simpson told rdnewsNOW. “I’ve been thinking about winning a World Cup in the elite division for a long time, so to finally do it makes me feel like I’m finally at the level I want to be.”

The day before, on Saturday, Simpson also claimed bronze in the first round final of the World Cup circuit finishing in a time of 35.182 seconds.

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Simpson won her first gold medal at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup back in 2022 while competing in the women’s under-23 race.

“I want to keep pushing and see what else we can achieve,” she added. “Maybe I didn’t know it but I felt pretty confident all weekend and I was riding really well.”

The 2025 UCI BMX Racing World Cup series is made up of six rounds throughout three different events (two final rounds per event) in different countries.

Simpson is now on her way to Papendal in the Netherlands for rounds three and four this weekend. However, rounds five and six won’t be until Sept. 20-21 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina.

“Now that I have my first World Cup, I’d like to win the overall World Cup series, which would be really cool to bring that title home,” Simpson said. “My eyes are also already set for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in three years. That’s my biggest dream and biggest goal. We’re just going to keep ticking things off and see how it goes.”

Simpson is fresh off from competing at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris last summer where she made the BMX Racing finals and finished fifth among the top women in the sport across the world.

She explained the Olympics shaped her into a more mature athlete.

“I think the games also made me realize that I can be the best and I’m close. The games have definitely benefitted me in a positive way,” Simpson said.