Bicycle Motocross (BMX) Racing originated in Southern California in the late 1970s. BMX is where riders are tested on dirt tracks with rollers, jumps, and turns to challenge their skills. Many riders start a BMX race, but through elimination rounds, only 8 make it to the final event, and the first 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 Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Over the years, Team USA has proven to be a top contender on the international stage.
A BMX bike has just a singlespeed gear with either a 20”- or 24”-wheel diameter, with 20” being the regulated wheel size for professionals. A typical race only lasts about 30-40 seconds, but riders compete in several rounds throughout the day of racing.
USA Cycling is proud to support high-performing athletes with financial, technological, and logistical programs that allow them to focus their efforts even further. USA Cycling believes that using time standards for international team qualification and continually raising the bar related to athlete support programs have been the catalysts for the fourteen World Championship medals won in the past quadrennium—the most American medals in a quad.
USA Cycling’s Athlete Development Pathway defines structured development tiers with multiple levels of programming for athletes in their journey to the USA Cycling National Team. The Athlete Development Pathway leads program design both at the club and national levels, all while educating parents and athletes about the multiple opportunities available to them on their journey from local results to international achievement.
April 7-13, 2023: Tulsa OK (USA BMX Headquarters)
Details:
Pricing:
Requirements:
USA Cycling is responsible for supporting and guiding athletes capable of winning Olympic medals, while also identifying, recruiting and developing future Games athletes. Our vision is to be amongst the very best in the world at talent identification, athlete development, management and preparation in all cycling disciplines. The National Team Designation is considered a critical means for achieving this vision. The support provided through the program seeks to offset some of the expenses associated with preparing for and participating in international sport. The program aims to support and assist athletes with the greatest potential to win medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
July 26 - August 11, 2024
Paris, France
May 17-19, 2024
Rock Hill, S.C., USA
For the most up-to-date information, please visit: UCI BMX World Championships
May 10-18, 2024
Rock Hill, S.C., USA
2024 Schedule
February 10-11: Rotorua
February 24-25: Brisbane
April 27-28: Tulsa
For the most up-to-date information, please visit: UCI BMX World Cups
USA Cycling is responsible for selecting the athletes who represent the United States in Protected Competitions through an extensive selection process.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ATHLETE EVENT SELECTION PROCESS
The discipline-specific selection committee provides oversight and accountability of the athlete nomination process. They ensure that the athlete selection procedures are followed and that criteria – both automatic and discretionary - are applied appropriately to nominate athletes. Once confirmed, they approve the athlete nominations.
Each discipline-specific selection committee is composed of three volunteers – a 10 Year Athlete, discipline expert unrelated to USA Cycling, and USA Cycling Discipline Director. Each selection committee includes at least one-third 10 Year Athlete Representatives as required by the USOPC Bylaws. Athlete Representatives on the selection committees are approved by USA Cycling’s Athletes’ Advisory Council.
The BMX Racing Selection Committee is as follows:
All members of the Selection Committee and USA Cycling Sport Performance staff participating in a selection must comply with USA Cycling’s Statement of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy.
Bicycle Motocross (BMX) Racing originated in Southern California in the late 1970s. BMX is where riders are tested on dirt tracks with rollers, jumps, and turns to challenge their skills. Many riders start a BMX race, but through elimination rounds, only 8 make it to the final event, and the first 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 Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Over the years, Team USA has proven to be a top contender on the international stage.
A BMX bike has just a singlespeed gear with either a 20”- or 24”-wheel diameter, with 20” being the regulated wheel size for professionals. A typical race only lasts about 30-40 seconds, but riders compete in several rounds throughout the day of racing.
USA Cycling is proud to support high-performing athletes with financial, technological, and logistical programs that allow them to focus their efforts even further. USA Cycling believes that using time standards for international team qualification and continually raising the bar related to athlete support programs have been the catalysts for the fourteen World Championship medals won in the past quadrennium—the most American medals in a quad.
USA Cycling’s Athlete Development Pathway defines structured development tiers with multiple levels of programming for athletes in their journey to the USA Cycling National Team. The Athlete Development Pathway leads program design both at the club and national levels, all while educating parents and athletes about the multiple opportunities available to them on their journey from local results to international achievement.
April 7-13, 2023: Tulsa OK (USA BMX Headquarters)
Details:
Pricing:
Requirements:
USA Cycling is responsible for supporting and guiding athletes capable of winning Olympic medals, while also identifying, recruiting and developing future Games athletes. Our vision is to be amongst the very best in the world at talent identification, athlete development, management and preparation in all cycling disciplines. The National Team Designation is considered a critical means for achieving this vision. The support provided through the program seeks to offset some of the expenses associated with preparing for and participating in international sport. The program aims to support and assist athletes with the greatest potential to win medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
July 26 - August 11, 2024
Paris, France
May 17-19, 2024
Rock Hill, S.C., USA
For the most up-to-date information, please visit: UCI BMX World Championships
May 10-18, 2024
Rock Hill, S.C., USA
2024 Schedule
February 10-11: Rotorua
February 24-25: Brisbane
April 27-28: Tulsa
For the most up-to-date information, please visit: UCI BMX World Cups
USA Cycling is responsible for selecting the athletes who represent the United States in Protected Competitions through an extensive selection process.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ATHLETE EVENT SELECTION PROCESS
The discipline-specific selection committee provides oversight and accountability of the athlete nomination process. They ensure that the athlete selection procedures are followed and that criteria – both automatic and discretionary - are applied appropriately to nominate athletes. Once confirmed, they approve the athlete nominations.
Each discipline-specific selection committee is composed of three volunteers – a 10 Year Athlete, discipline expert unrelated to USA Cycling, and USA Cycling Discipline Director. Each selection committee includes at least one-third 10 Year Athlete Representatives as required by the USOPC Bylaws. Athlete Representatives on the selection committees are approved by USA Cycling’s Athletes’ Advisory Council.
The BMX Racing Selection Committee is as follows:
All members of the Selection Committee and USA Cycling Sport Performance staff participating in a selection must comply with USA Cycling’s Statement of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy.
Medina joined the organization in March 2023 to run the USA Cycling BMX Racing National Team program. Medina has raced BMX since 1983, and was one of the first pioneers of the sport to start bringing science based training to the early years of BMX Racing in Colombia.
Medina previously worked for the Colombian Olympic Committee from 2007-2022 coaching the BMX Racing team since the sports Olympic debut in 2008. Over the past four Olympic Games, the Colombian BMX Team has raced to six Olympic medals under his guidance, including two gold medals won by Mariana Pajon.
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 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.
A successful professional cyclist in his own right, Jim coached several cyclists on the side and eventually retired from racing in 1999 to focus solely on his flourishing coaching career. After developing several notable cyclists, he originally came to USA Cycling to run the women’s road program in 2002. After earning Coach of the Year distinctions from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in 2003 & 2004, Jim was promoted to director of endurance programs, overseeing the development of American junior, U23, and women endurance athletes in road and track cycling. After making significant strides toward the USA Cycling National Development Program’s goal of developing the next generation of American cyclists, he was named Vice President of Athletics in 2010. In 2017, Jim left USA Cycling to become the Vice President of Business Development for Training Peaks. Unable to resist the Olympic call, he returned to USA Cycling in 2020 as the Chief of Sport Performance. He has earned the International Olympic Committee’s highest honor for coaches, the Order of Ikkos, three times, all for coaching 3-time Olympic Champion Kristen Armstrong to victory.