Northland's Luke Brooke-Smith claims second at BMX World Championships

Northland's Luke Brooke-Smith (number 324) tries his luck on the inside as he battles Dutch rider, Guus Klinker (number 310) in the world 11-year-old boys final in Belgium. Photo / Nico van Dartel

Whangārei BMX rider Luke Brooke-Smith has confirmed his spot among the world's best, finishing second in the 11-year-old boys' division at the UCI BMX World Championships yesterday.

As one of the first New Zealand young team riders to compete on day two in Belgium, Brooke-Smith got off to a good start in his final, leading for a time on the first stretch.

Going round the first corner, the Northlander was overtaken by Dutch rider and eventual winner, Guus Klinker.

Luke Brooke-Smith stands proudly with his second-place trophy, his best finish in the World BMX Championships. Photo / Nico van Dartel

Klinker rode well for the remainder of the race and kept Brooke-Smith trailing his back wheel until he'd crossed the finish line.

Riders also had to contend with temperatures which reached as high as 39 degrees.

Despite missing out on the top spot, finishing second will be a satisfying feeling for the young Northland rider after disappointing World Championship campaigns in the past.

Brooke-Smith was taken out by another rider in the semifinals at last year's worlds, after finishing sixth and seventh in the two years prior.

Luke Brooke-Smith (left) and Tauranga's Bruno Nemedi try to escape the heat yesterday. Photo / Nico van Dartel

The only other Northland rider, Katja Stupar, finished fifth in her heats and did not progress to the final stages.

Other notable results from New Zealanders included a sixth in the 9-year-old boys for Cambridge's Oscar Newnham, a 13th in the 12-year-old girls for Cambridge's Lily Greenough and a 14th for North Harbour's Dylan Szaszy in the 7-year-old boys.