Jill Kintner, US Mountain Bike at 2008 Olympics
Women's BMX and MountainCross Champion...and Olympic Bronze Medalist
Sep 30, 2008
Some girls just grow up tough. Jill Kintner is proof of that. But, how does one girl go from riding bikes with the boys in the neighborhood to winning an Olympic medal? It takes a lot of skill and determination paired with a winning spirit.
A Girl on a Bike...
On August 22, 2008 Jill Kintner became the first American to win an Olympic medal in BMX racing. The 26-year old from Seattle, Washington has spent most of her life on a bike. Kintner was the only girl in her neighborhood and spent her days riding bikes with the boys. By the age of eight, she was racing BMX. Her father, Peter, operated a local BMX track when she and her brother were young. Her brother, Paul is a pro BMX freestyle rider.
Although she was an amazing athlete in both soccer and tennis, it was BMX where Kintner excelled. She began accumulating wins almost as soon as she began racing. Among her titles are the NBL National Series pro title and the 2002 ABA World Championship crown.
Ready for a Change...
While Kintner was still at the top of her game and still dominating the pro BMX world, she shifted gears and gave it up to pursue a new interest: MountainCross. Kintner embraced the challenge of learning to ride different bikes and tracks and she was soon dominating the mountain bike world as well. In 2005 she signed with GT Bikes. She went on to win three consecutive UCI 4X World Championship titles, four U.S. National Championships and two UCI World Cup Championships. Once again, at the height of her game, Kintner had to make a decision. Should she trade in her mountain bike for a set of 20-inch wheels and try to earn a spot on the Olympic BMX team?
Olympic Dreams...
Just as quickly as she had left BMX, Kintner was back. She trained hard and very few people were surprised when Kintner earned her spot on the U.S. Women’s Olympic BMX team (the only U.S. female team member, as it turns out). During the final race, Kintner, on a GT Power Series Ultra Box with custom Team USA graphics, competed against seven other riders. A mixture of skill, training, and luck all contributed to her Olympic finish.
During the women’s final, Kintner avoided a crash and followed Anne-Caroline Chausson and Laetitia Le Corguille, of France, across the finish line to claim the bronze medal. Kintner rode across the finish line with the words “4 dad” written on her gloves, in honor of her father who passed away a year and a half earlier.
It remains to be seen whether Kintner will continue to compete in BMX, return to her mountain bike or a combination of the two. Whatever the case, it seems a safe bet that Kintner will continue to be at the top of the pack.
* On September 21, 2008, Kintner posted on her website that, after 3 years, multiple title wins and an Olympic medal, GT Bikes won’t signing her or boyfriend Bryn Atkinson for the 2009 season.
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