Bethany Shriever won her first European title in Dessel ©Getty Images

Britain's Olympic medallists Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte both secured their first continental gold medals as they were victorious at the European Cycling Union (UEC) BMX Racing European Championships in Dessel.

The Tokyo 2020 champion Shriever lived up to her pre-competition favourite tag in the elite women's race in Belgium.

The 22-year-old's title was never in doubt as she produced an assured performance in the final.

Belgium's 2015 European champion Elke Vanhoof won the silver medal while Frenchwoman Camille Maire took bronze.

A silver medallist at Tokyo 2020, Whyte dominated a fiercely contested elite men's final in which he came ahead of the Swiss rider Cédric Butti and compatriot Eddie Moore.

France won gold in both the women's and men's team time trials.

Belgium and Latvia made up the women's podium while Italy and Germany won silver and bronze in the men's event. 

In the men's under-23 category, the titles were awarded to the French rider Hugo Marszalek who came in front of his compatriot Tatyan Lui Hin Tsan, and Dane Magnus Dyre.

Denmark's Malene Kejlstrup beat the Swiss riders Thalya Burford and Nadine Aeberhard in the women's under-23 event.

In total, 1,770 riders from 25 countries took part in Dessel over the three-day event. 

Besançon in France is due to stage the next edition of the European Championships from July 7 to 9 2023.