Team USA
BMX Racing
Meticulous calculation and training, precise and powerful execution. Check out Team USA riders competing in BMX racing, and the programs that help Team USA dominate international events.
About BMX Racing
Bicycle Motocross (BMX) Racing is where riders are tested on dirt tracks with rollers, jumps, and turns to challenge their skills. There are many riders that start a BMX race, but through elimination rounds, only 8 make the final event and the person to cross the finish line wins. BMX was officially recognized by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in 1993. The sport made its Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games, providing a platform for BMX racing to expose itself to a wider audience. Over the years, Team USA has proven to be a top contender on the international stage.
Join The Team
The USA Cycling BMX program is designed to expose its athletes to the highest level of international competition and to identify, develop, and support our world-class talent pool by introducing them to our BMX training facility in Chula Vista, CA.
Here's a look at how you can enter the Olympic Development pathway and work your way on to Team USA:
Join The Olympic Development Academy
USA Cycling’s Olympic Development Academy (ODA) for BMX Racing has been developed to offer you the best coaching and experience outside the National Team. The goal of the program is to allow you to fully experience and understand what it takes to become an Olympic level athlete. ODA athletes will receive tailored coaching to their individual needs and will experience all the sport science that goes behind creating Olympic Champions.
The ODA puts you, the individual, in charge of your athletic development and in front of the coaches and program directors that manage our Olympic programs. The program runs over several months and during that time, you will receive individualized coaching and support, and the options to train at world class Olympic facilities in the USA as well as Europe.
2022 Schedule
TBD
Program & Cost
Academy athletes will focus on spending time on the Supercross tracks, working on gate technique, jump technique, and course positioning. Another portion of training will focus on Strength and Conditioning sessions in the gym that will target correct lifting techniques and introducing new specific BMX Racing techniques. Workshops will also be included regarding nutrition, psychology, athlete wellness, anti-doping education and developing training and racing strategies.
BMX Racing event opportunities will be available in Europe as well as the U.S. The goal of these events will be to educate riders on all aspects of the planning and preparation that will help them perform their best on race day. These events are the perfect place to put into practice everything the athletes have been working out throughout the semester. Riders will receive a full world class treatment and experience, just like the national team would.
Want to join the Olympic Development Academy?
2022 Applications Coming Soon
What is the National Team?
USA Cycling is proud to support our BMX National Team athletes who are the ultimate ambassadors of our mission to win, celebrate and inspire. USA Cycling will support National Team elite athletes with logistical and team support upon request. Each athlete in the national team will receive unique support to best address each athlete’s needs in terms of timing and type of resources. USA Cycling will work with our elite athletes’ factory teams to help maximize the combined resources. Our goal is to ensure that our top riders have everything they need to perform at the highest level.
For criteria on how to qualify for the national team, click here.
For information on the levels of support, click here.
MEET THE TEAM
World Championships
July 26-31, 2022: Nantes, France
2022 BMX Racing World Championships Selection Criteria - Discretionary Petition Form
For the most up-to-date information, please visit: UCI BMX World Championships
World Cups
Rounds 1 and 2 - May 28-29, 2022: Glasgow, GBR
Rounds 3 and 4 - June 11-12, 2022: Papendal, NED
Rounds 5 and 6 - September 24-25, 2022: Bogotá, COL
Rounds 7 and 8 - October 1-2, 2022: Bogotá, COL
For the most up-to-date information, please visit: UCI BMX Supercross World Cups
Selection Committees
USA Cycling is responsible for selecting the athletes who represent the United States in the highest level of international competition. For more information on the general selection process, click here.
Podium Bonus
Did you just have a top result in the World Championships or Olympic Games? You may be eligible for a bonus from the USOPC and USA Cycling. Click here to learn more.
Athlete Resources:
International BMX License Application
UCI BMX International Rider License Form
USA BMX Registration Check List
Online Registration for BMX World Challenge
Jamie
Staff
High Performance Director, BMX Racing & Freestyle
Background
Jamie Staff leads USA Cycling’s BMX Racing and Freestyle programs. Born in Ashford, Kent, England, Jamie raced BMX for 20 years winning the World Championships in 1996. In 2001, he turned to Track racing in the pursuit of the Olympic Games. His transition appeared to be seamless qualifying for Team Great Britain's sprint program in his first attempt. At the Commonwealth Games, he rode to silver in the Team Sprint, broke the National 200m Record, and rode to bronze in the Kilometer. Less than a year into track racing, he helped Team GB win gold in the Team Sprint at the 2002 UCI Track World Championships. In 2004, he became the Keirin World Champion and punched his ticket to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. It wasn't until the next Olympics that Staff would walk away with a medal. Not only did he win several medals in the World Championship and Commonwealth Games in the next four years, but he would win gold in the Team Sprint trio and break the World Record at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
After 7 years on the track, he turned to coaching. At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, under Staff's direction, USA Cycling’s BMX program won its first gold medal, a silver medal, and recorded two fourth place finishes. With the introduction of BMX Freestyle to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic schedule, Staff took over that program. BMX Freestyle won its first medal in the sports debut with silver.
Arielle
Martin-Verhaaren
BMX Development Coach
Background
Arielle Verhaaren is one of the most successful American BMX racers and was the first American woman to win a UCI BMX Supercross World Cup.
Having started her BMX racing career at the age of five, she won multiple national titles as an amateur before turning pro at the age of 15. While juggling her professional racing career with a college education, she was selected as an alternate to the 2008 Olympic Team and the same year won the overall UCI World Cup series. In 2009 she won a bronze medal at the UCI World Championships and in 2011 she became the first American woman to win a UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, a feat she followed up with a Pan American Games silver medal. In 2012, Arielle was the first athlete selected to the London Olympic BMX Team but a training accident the day prior to departure left her cheering for her teammates from the hospital. She returned to the World Cup circuit in 2013 and ended the season ranked second overall before officially retiring.
Arielle holds a BS in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University and has completed her MBA from Devry. She spends her free time chasing her daughter, coaching the future generation of BMX athletes, and sneaking in rides and races whenever possible.