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BMX - The Little Cycling Surprise Package from the Olympics

9/25/2016

18 Comments

 
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Cycling was a great success story at the Rio Olympics on a number of fronts. Track, road and off-road cycling got some fantastic coverage and the athletes that work so hard behind the scenes won some well deserved recognition. The medalists have been celebrated, we already covered the British track cycling team’s success in Rio, however it was one of cycling's less traditional cousins that won a lot of media attention thanks to some US success and a format made for TV viewing. 

BMX - the Surprise Package at Rio

It wasn’t BMX’s debut at the Olympics, it first appeared in Beijing in 2008, however the peculiar sport gained more US media coverage this year thanks a US men's gold and women’s silver. Connor Fields won gold in the hotly contested men’s final, securing the USA’s first ever gold in BMX, while Alise Post won silver behind defending champion Mariana Pajon of Colombia. ​

An Unusual Spectacle

Google tweeted during the Olympics that the most common #Olympic search was "Why are #BMX bikes so small?" The answer: so they can jump higher and further. Eight riders line up for a points race through an obstacle course that consists of sharp turns and big jumps. Falls and big crashes are common as riders jostle for position on the turns in front of a closely packed stadium crowd. It can be gladiatorial at times, with riders sometimes limping over the line, at times running with their bikes to stay alive in the points race. 

For the purists, track and road cycling events are where the sport starts and finishes however, for the non-initiated, BMX provides a short-burst form of entertainment that is a combination of drama, crashes and excitement all crammed into 30 seconds. Some Olympic purists may not be overjoyed with the sports inclusion but if the success of the sport is judged by attendance then BMX looks set to stay. ​
18 Comments
Austin Kline
10/26/2016 07:44:49 am

The cycling seemed so impressive at the Olympics.I love the talent that was shown and I respect so much the skill that these cyclists have. It shows that the world respects cyclers overall.

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Biff
11/2/2016 12:23:49 pm

I totally agree when you say BMX provides a short-burst form of entertainment. I believe that's why it is so popular. Modern society is starting to favor short form entertainment more and more these days.

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Jesse Cahn
10/26/2016 10:19:09 am

This article about cycling was great. Cycling events are great for your health.

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Caroline Kaugher
10/26/2016 10:26:37 am

Wow, I had no idea they brought BMX to the Olympics! I totally missed that somewhere! (prolly too busy watching swimmers ;) ). I love BMX! As always, great insight!

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HannahV
10/26/2016 05:35:52 pm

Those tiny bikes are really powerful. BMX was great to watch.

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Kevin C
10/26/2016 06:22:44 pm

My son will definitely love hearing about this. Well worth the read!

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rasel link
10/26/2016 10:09:46 pm

Thanks for sharing such a good and helpful article.This article is very effective for cycler all over the specially for those who want to involve them with cycle racing

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Vincent Agosta
10/27/2016 06:35:53 am

I love to watch cycling on tv. No matter if it is from the olympics or not. It is a great fitness sport and takes alot of endurance to pedal for miles, especially going uphill. Trek bikes are the best to use in my opinion.

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c.m.
10/27/2016 06:50:24 am

My first bike was a BMX. It's good to see this type of sport highlighted and included in the Olympics. Some don't seem to consider people involved in the sport to be athletes and that's far from the truth. They have tremendous skills and stamina. It's amazing how bike riding evolved into a more complicated competitive sport.

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rachel kerolle
10/27/2016 06:59:25 am

Those bike i would buy it for my daughter

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julio pacio
10/27/2016 12:28:31 pm

BMX cycling is of the most exiting Olympics sports ever

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Shasta McAnally Martin
10/28/2016 07:29:07 am

I never knew why BMX bikers were so small. That was kind of interesting to learn.

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Michelle
10/31/2016 01:38:21 pm

BMX brand is what I love. It has durable bikes. In fact my husband has his bmx bike for more than 15 years now. It can be used for sports or just for personal hobby. Anyway, thanks to this article as it reminded me about being active in life.

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Sam
11/2/2016 09:44:50 pm

Cycling has been one of the biggest events in Olympics. BMX has been part of the cycling tool that I have learned and know more about it. This post provides a better knowledge about how popular is BMX.

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Roy Cortney
11/3/2016 01:35:11 am

BMX Cycling is truly a sport of skill that requires careful coordination. It's exciting to see how players manage to twist, turn, and flip their way through various obstacles.

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xavi0r
11/4/2016 03:10:14 pm

BMX is so awesome. Glad I got friends that are into it.

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Mona
11/7/2016 06:54:10 am

The cycling was amazing to watch - so many really great athletes and the technology just gets better and better so they can do more and more.

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jersey link
12/6/2016 04:57:54 pm

This article is more interesting , i will make my son to invole in cycling

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    Cameron Poetzscher

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    Cameron Poetzscher is a Harvard Business School graduate with extensive M&A, business strategy and operations experience.
    He is the VP of Corporate Development at Uber, and is passionate about sport.

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