Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Logan Martin loses gear and equipment in a van break-in ahead of Paris Olympics

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Australian BMX freestyle champion Logan Martin faced a harrowing experience as he prepared to defend his gold in Paris Olympics. Thieves broke into the Australian team's van in Brussels, stealing some of Martin's equipment.

Fortunately, his bikes were not in the van at the time. Martin, who won gold in Tokyo ahead of Venezuela's Daniel Dhers, lost his wallet, backpack, and several personal items in the incident.

On social media, Martin shared videos showing the van's passenger side window smashed and police officers investigating the scene. He expressed relief that his bikes were safe, noting that the thieves had taken his bike bags and other gear.

"Luckily most of our stuff was in our room and we managed to recover a lot of it too. I lost my wallet, backpack, and a few other things but overall it didn't end up being too bad. It's unfortunate when people feel the need to do things like this," he stated on Instagram.

The incident occurred while the Australian team was holding a training camp in Brussels before heading to Paris. Despite the setback, Martin and his teammates managed to recover some of their stolen items. Fortunately, Martin and the others eventually discovered some of their stolen bags on a seat, due to the bags' identifying tags.

However, the thieves had utterly wrecked the contents of the bag, as Martin discovered his gloves and other equipment scattered on the ground beside the bench.

The intruders ate his cache of chocolate bars, leaving the wrappers with the discarded equipments. They also identified a helmet, tools, and massage table using bag tags.

Despite all of it, Australian BMX team's focus remains unwavering as they gear up for the BMX cycling event, which begins with the quarterfinals on August 1 and runs until August 3. Martin's determination to defend his title appears unshaken despite this early disruption to their preparations.