The opening round of the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup (Park) in Saudi Arabian town of Diriyah, will reveal which athletes have been able to perfect new tricks over the off-season. Some of them will be able to demonstrate personal “firsts” in Diriyah, while others may be able to unleash NBD’s (“Never Been Done’s”).
No matter their training facilities – indoors or outdoors, with a foam pit and resi landings or straight onto concrete or wood – there is no doubt that they will be prepared for this opening event of the season.
Over the years, the discipline’s veterans have built up a massive box of tricks. Their experience enables them to decide where on each new course they can deploy the many tricks that they’ve mastered. The shape of the ramps, the height of the obstacles, the coping that’s sticking out, the possibility to transfer from one ramp to another ramp… the older riders have seen enough to know how and where to place their tricks. They also know how to deal with the pressure.
Women: competition from all corners of the world
However, as in all sports, new talent keeps knocking on the door. At the latest round of the UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup at the Gold Coast in Australia in December 2022 that was particularly clear in the women’s competition with the emergence of an impressive Chinese delegation which saw four of their athletes make the finals. Jiaqi Sun and Z Hui Min took first and second respectively, meaning the likes of UCI World Champion Hannah Roberts (USA), Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Worthington (GBR) and Swiss Champion Nikita Ducarroz have got their work cut out for them to stay on top.
The density of talent in the women’s competition has increased immensely since the first UCI World Cup in Montpellier (France) in 2016. The veterans now face stiff competition from all corners of the world, not least Colombia with the Villegas Serna twins, Lizsurley and Queensaray (19), the former winning the UCI World Cup round in Montpellier in 2022. The Czech Republic’s 18-year-old Iveta Miculycova became 2022 European BMX Park Champion in Munich (Germany), beating big names such as Charlotte Worthington and Nikita Ducarroz in the final.
Kim Lea Müller (GER) has already climbed to 4th position in the UCI ranking at age 21 and Laury Perez (20) is coming up the ranks just in time for the 2024 Olympics in her home country.
Men : the rookies versus the veterans
In men’s BMX Freestyle, the competition is equally stiff, with athletes needing to pull out their best tricks to escape elimination. The cut to 24 in the semi-final is tough and making it to the final 12 of the day requires excellent riding.
The major contenders of recent times have been two-time UCI World Champion and Olympic Champion Logan Martin (AUS), reigning UCI World Champion from Japan, Rimu Nakamura, and three-time European Champion Anthony Jeanjean, of France.
But the road will in no way be plain sailing for these established riders in 2023. Twenty-year-old Dylan Hessey (GBR) made huge progress in 2022 as did the Hungarian Kristóf Krausz (17). Spinning the bars an extra round and giving that frame an extra spin to add a tailwhip is what they do – they’re super motivated and not scared.
Brazil’s Gustavo Batista de Oliveira (21) has the gift to go as high or higher than anyone, making him stand out from the rest of the pack. France has Luca Bertrand (21); when he rides, he doesn’t slow down one bit, it’s full throttle all the way till the buzzer goes!
Then there is Joji Mizogaki of Japan who, at only 17, has tricks that many of the veterans would love to master, and the amplitude he generates out of nothing is incredible. Nor should anyone overlook American Marcus Christopher (21) who, sitting 4th in the UCI Individual Ranking, is the highest ranked rider coming out of the USA.
There is certainly no lack of talent, and the rookies will take on the veterans in just a few days’ time (15-18 February) at the first UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Cup of the season in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.