The first spot on the US Olympic BMX team has been claimed by Kyle Bennett. Bennett won his place on the team on May 10, after making it to the finals of a World Cup race that took place in Denmark.
Bennett is a three time BMX World Champion who is known as “Butter” for his smooth riding style. He has been riding since he was seven years old and started his professional career in 2000 at 20 years of age. Bennett’s interest in BMX may have been influenced by his family. His grandfather took him to the local track for the first time when he was seven years old. And Bennett’s stepfather, John Purse, was also a professional racer; they even rode on the same team in 1991. He is recognized as one of the fastest riders on the track, and also demonstrates an admirable amount of strength and skill. Bennett has been riding for Free Agentsince 2004.
At the end of the 2006 season, Bennett suffered a knee injury and had surgery to repair his ACL that December. While many people might have taken some time to recover, Bennett came out strong during 2007 and had what many refer to as his best season ever. Of course, that was before his 2008 performance. It was no surprise to many BMX fans that Bennett clinched the first spot on the US Olympic team. He was viewed as the frontrunner by many during much of the season. Bennett is currently credited with 3 World Championship titles, 3 National Bicycle League #1 Pro Plates and two 2nd place finishes at the X Games for Downhill (2002 & 2003). Can Olympic Gold be far behind?
BMX racing will make its Olympic debut this summer at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejing, China. The US will send three riders to represent its inaugural team. The second team member will be decided during the Olympic trials on June 14th at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. The third spot will be given to the coach’s choice of riders.
The Olympic BMX racing will feature heats of eight racers. The top four finishers of each heat will move on to the next. The men’s event will begin with 32 riders; the women’s will have 16.
The history of BMX has been a constant evolution of the sport. From its humble beginnings it has grown into a respected sport, and now an Olympic event.
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