BMX right for the Olympics?
Two things irk me about BMX, it is, essentially, a race for the first corner, first one out of the first corner wins. Secondly the strongest, most tactical, best bike handling rider doesn't necessarily win. Some idiot can come into the corner far too hot and take out those that have positioned themselves well, effectively ruining their race (a Bradbury incident).
The event that it displaced was the 1km time trial (500m for women), in my opinion, an event with more focus on the capabilities of the athlete and without the pure luck component.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Belinda Hoare on -
...whereas I watched the final and got goosebumps thinking about how much power and sprint training an elite BMX rider has to do to be competitive, and be first out of that corner in any race, let alone to win a World Championship. The strongest, most tactical, best bike handler often doesn't win grand tours either. Idiots on bikes are universal. I think BMX has a worthy place in the Olympics, especially when 'sports' like shooting and synchronised swimming do.
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Permalink Reply by Gus K on -
I am not a fan but congratulations to Adelaide's Sam Willoughby on his World Champion crown overnight. We might not be so fussy when he brings home gold from the Olympics.
I reckon the Findon Skid Kids should get an Olympic spot!
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Permalink Reply by Darren Hicks on -
Seriously, unless you've actually raced bmx, and im not talking just rode around a track but raced properly coming out of the 9 metre high start hill like what was used at the worlds, then i dont think you have the right to comment on how a race is run and won. What racing sport cant be ruined by "some idiot" coming in to a corner to hot, its part of the sport, this is what makes it so exciting to watch and why it should be an olympic sport unlike so many other rather boring sports that are in at the moment. Although you are marginally correct that the race is to the 1st corner, getting there is far from easy; those like Sam, Brian and Anthony (all 3 who are Adelaide boys and ranked in the top 10 in the world) have to train twice a day 5-6 days a week and make bmx their job, not just a hobby to have the ability to even get near that corner in the front. They need to train this much because you cant just be powerfull like on the velodrome and win, you actually have to be a highly skillful rider with a lot of bike control as well as a LOT of power. You also need a lot of skill and balls to pedal with a cadence around the 220 mark, going at 50+ kmh and hit jumps 35+ foot long just to be near the front not to mention needing a split second reaction time as the start call is completely random everytime. I have raced for 17 years, and believe me bmx is far from a " first one out of the first corner wins" type of sport, if the rider has a PERFECT lap then yes they can lead from start to finish but i emphasise the perfect part. And lastly if you knew the sport you would know that the olympic's track is nothing like the world's track, it is far longer and a great deal more technical and all in all bloody scary to race around at the speeds they do so what you watched is only a small taste of what you will see from the olympics.
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Permalink Reply by Gary Mills on -
Well said Darren! Great reply. Too many people think of BMX as a bunch of kids riding small bikes around a dirt track.
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Permalink Reply by Brendan Clover on
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Not questioning their ability as bike riders nor their courage or commitment. Any athlete at the top of their sport makes huge sacrifices in their life, something that majority of us would never be prepared to do.
Given the work that these people put in, it doesn't seem right, at least to me, that a rider that had lost out on position then trys to reclaim it in a move that is never going to succeed and affects other riders races.
Two examples:
The kiwi rider in the final corner of the mens final, he was near last and decided to over take everyone in the corner and succeeded only in taking out Stromberg who had had 3rd wrapped up until this moment.
One of the womans semifinals, there were riders battling for 4th place coming into the 2nd corner, a rider came from a fair way back, far to fast for the corner and took others out so the Brazillian rider, who was last on the track, a long way off the pace, made the final. Even the commentators elluded to the fact that she didn't really deserve to be in the final.
There were similar incidents throughout the other televised events last night and also at the Beijing Olympics where, in the womans final, the British rider nearly took out the French woman that won gold, and had dominated the race, in the final corner, fortunately she hit the rear wheel far enough back that the French rider was able to stay on.
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Permalink Reply by Darren Hicks on
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Yes its unfortunate (and when your the rider taken out believe me bloody annoying) but once again I'll say it, this unpredictability is what makes it so exciting to watch because you never know what might happen. And if the best/fastest/strongest rider or for that matter any athlete in any sport always won every time, then we wouldn't have much sport to watch, because only the very best would bother to race because those hoping for a bit of luck to get through wouldn't bother.
As for your examples, Marc Willers (the kiwi rider) in hindsight may have made a bad move, but you need to realize that it was the last corner of the WORLD titles and if there's even a small chance that that move may have come off i don't know any bmxer who wouldn't have gone for it!! And the women's race, there was a couple of bigger upsets than the one you mentioned. One was the aussie rider Caroline Buchanan who crashed in one of the semis, she should have been in the main, but she made a mistake and crashed, it was her fault no one elses, but what your saying is almost like she should have been given a spot in the main anyway because she had been one of the quickest all day. And the other was Alise Post who was in lane one in the final, she was easily the fastest on the day but again made a mistake and crashed, its just how the sport goes especially on this track as it only took 26 seconds to ride!
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on -
I was under the impression its about a lot more than just the main race. Consistency in the qualifying process is what gets the advantageous starting position.
As more people get eliminated the standard becomes higher which makes it harder to come from behind.
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Permalink Reply by Darren Hicks on
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Yes thats how the points system works. You start with a time trial from which everyone that qualifies is ranked on lap time. Then after that in the heats its finishing position which gives lane choice, after 3 or 4 heats the rider with lowest points get lane choice for the quarter final (or eighth or semi depending on how many riders there is all together) then its finishing position and lap time which determines who has lane choice for either the semi or final, which ever follows. For instance Sam had a bad quarter final so only got a middle gate pick for the semi, but had a good gate, got to the front and had the fastest semi final lap so was given lane choice for the main.
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Permalink Reply by Doddsy on
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Capabilities? You mean fitness?
Its not BMX's issue that the 1km time trial was displaced. Thats an issue for time trialers.
What are you trying to say? Skillfull riders shouldn't be allowed to compete in the Olympics?
Give me two minutes of my life back thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Brendan Clover on
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Nope I don't mean fitness, I mean all round capability. That does include fitness but also tactical nous, mental fortitude, bike handling and the best preparation.
I am trying to say that it should be the absolute best athlete with the gold medal around their neck as it is in the 100m sprint in track and field, or the 50m freestyle in the pool, or in the kilo as the example I used orignally.
Nobody forced you to read or comment, your fault you lost 2 minutes of your life.
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Permalink Reply by Dstone on -
BMX purely from a global particapation perspective deserves to be in, I would guess it would be on par with many track events. Take a look at the riders BMX produces, they go onto track, pro MTB and road. You dont have to be the best rider to win the road race either. Idiots on road bikes take out the best riders as well - look at this year Giro and bunch sprints. Crashes happen. MTB is really the only racing that can have minimal rider on rider contact but there is still a chance for plenty of that. And yes it sucks that the Kilo is gone, one of my fav all time events.
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