Charlotte Worthington has vowed to cook up a mouthwatering Munich storm as she prepares to unveil her ‘top secret’ flicks and tricks at today’s European Championships.

The Tokyo Olympic champion, 26, has enjoyed a searing rise after swapping shifts as a chef at a Manchester Mexican restaurant with her gravity-defying exploits on a BMX bike.

Worthington pulled off a stunning, never-before-seen 360-degree backflip in the Japanese capital to grab a surprise gold medal and will now take to the European stage bidding to reclaim her 2019 crown.

Worthington did not compete at last year’s event in Moscow and insists she’s hungrier than ever to deliver another dizzying display at Munich’s 1972 Olympic Park.

The two-time World Championship medallist, whose sport is one of nine featuring at this week’s European Championships, said: “I always dabbled with BMX, and I wanted a new challenge.

“So, I was faced with the choice – either stick with working 40 hours in the kitchen, or get paid to do something I love and take a chance on going to the Olympics.

“If you’ve never heard of BMX before, then picture gymnastics on a BMX bike.

“Ahead of Tokyo, we had to keep the 360 backflip under wraps, so we gave it the nickname ‘The Ferrari’.

“And sadly, my [tricks for Munich] are also a little top-secret!

“I wasn’t able to attend the most recent European Championships in Russia – so I definitely have a goal to win that title back.”

The gymnastics, rowing and climbing events will also get underway on Thursday before athletics, triathlon, canoe sprint, table tennis and beach volleyball then take centre stage.

Britain’s track cycling stars are joining Worthington in day one action and Jack Carlin, a two-time Olympic medallist, hopes rediscovering his love of the sport can help him end his major championship gold drought.

The Paisley peddler, 25, claimed keirin silver and sprint bronze at last week’s Commonwealth Games after admitting to personal struggles after Tokyo.

The Scottish star grabbed two silvers and a bronze in the 2016, 2018 and 2019 European Championships and reckons his ‘reignited’ mentality can now fire him to the top of the podium.

“I feel like the fire has been reignited and I’m now looking forward to the next couple of years,” he said.

“It’s not been an easy few months for me and I’ve been really struggling and fell out of love with the sport.

“It’s taken racing in front of a home crowd at the Commonwealth Games to find my mojo again, to find that passion and that desire and try to win and compete.”

The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the Germany city. Follow online at bbc.co.uk/sport