13-year-old NSW Yamaha rider makes history in the Czech Republic
Australia’s Blake Bohannon is the 2026 world junior motocross champion in the 85cc class after an exhilarating performance in the Czech Republic on July 5-6.
The 13-year-old Yamaha rider from Herons Creek in NSW rode out of his skin, winning both 85cc motos to become the first Australian to win a FIM Junior Motocross World Championship (WJMX) since Bailey Malkiewicz in 2018 – and only the second after Jay Wilson in 2009 to achieve the feat in the intermediate 85cc class.
Bohannon was joined by five other Team Australia members at the 2026 WJMX, with Hudson Francis (Yamaha) and Ryder Madafiglio (KTM) leading the charge with sixth and 10th overall in the 65cc class. Jayce Stocker (KTM) was 11th overall in the 85s and Seth Thomas (KTM) 33rd in the 125s, while Cooper Ford (KTM) just missed out on qualifying for Sunday’s 125cc motos.
Bohannon, who recently completed an unbeaten season in the Australian Fox Racing MX85 Cup, played the two 11-lap 85cc motos at the Jinin track to perfection, taking time to find his feet before upping his speed and work rate.
The measured approach saw him overtake Latvian Patriks Cirulis (Husqvarna) with two laps remaining in the opener to win by 1.7 seconds, and in the second he was in the lead by just over half-distance en route to a perfect outing – which also included two fastest laps – and his name now etched into Aussie WJMX motocross folklore alongside Wilson, Jett Lawrence (65cc) and Malkiewicz (125cc).
Bohannon’s unblemished 50pt haul saw him claim the gold medal from Cirulis (40pts) and American Chase Brennan (Suzuki, 37pts).
Bohannon will now compete in the final two rounds of the 2026 MX3 title in ProMX as one of the nation’s brightest prospects takes the next step in his burgeoning career.
Meanwhile, after finishing 16th in moto one, Stocker put the hammer down in the second to finish in eighth in a stacked field of talented teens.
WJMX rookies Francis (8-10) and Madafiglio (5-16) performed with distinction in the 65cc class, with French rider Lucas Bos (KTM) winning both motos ahead of Spaniard Adan Quesada (GASGAS). Third overall was American Jax Baker (Cobra).
Thomas produced a solid 26-30 scorecard in the 125cc class, after a tense Saturday when he was the final rider to qualify for Sunday after finishing fourth in the last chance moto.
He then made plenty of passes in the two championship motos, which featured battled-hardened riders from the 2026 EMX125 European series. New Zealander Levi Townley (Yamaha) was one of them, with the former Australian junior motocross champion finishing 16th overall.
Austrian Ricardo Bauer (KTM) was crowned the 2026 125cc WJMX champion, with Frenchman Sleny Goyer (Yamaha) and Swiss rider Emil Ziemer (KTM) taking the silver and bronze.
