BMX Bikes Strong Debut in Bejing Olympics

BMX Bikes Olympic news. Amecican racers Mike Day and Kyle Bennett gave the fans a great introduction to bmx bike racing in the Bejing Olympics. Day won the time trial and each of his three quarterfinal heats and Bennett advanced although he dislocated his shoulder in a wreck on his final bmx bikes heat.
Top ranked Donny Robinson also moved on, as did American bmx olympic racer Jill Kitner from Seattle. Kitner is the lone American women in the womens 16 bmx olympic racing field despite riding on a shredded knee ligement.
"You can't get much more rad than this" Donny Robinson said.
Heavy rain postponed the medal rounds.

Other quotes from the bmx bike racers in Bejing.

“The Olympics are the biggest thing we’ll ever do,” the American rider Mike Day said.

He skipped every race that was not related to the Olympics, even the world championships. And when he showed up Wednesday, Day turned in the fastest qualifying time and won three quarterfinal heats to advance to the semifinals. He went so fast, in fact, he never saw the back of another bike.

“He had the track dialed,” said Steve Day, Mike’s dad, while sipping a beer. “This whole experience is just surreal. I’m at a loss for words. To have your kid compete in the Olympics is just an unbelievable feeling.”

Day called the prospect of potential growth “overwhelming.” He wanted to concentrate on the course he could ride blindfolded, on the prospect of winning the first gold medal in his sport’s long and gnarly history.

“Just the whole experience has been crazy,” Day said. “Eating in the dining hall, sleeping in the village, getting police escorts. It’s the coolest thing ever.”

Like Day, Kintner tried to soak in the experience. “Wow,” she said to herself. “I really am in China. BMX really is in the Olympics.”

Added her brother, Paul, who builds BMX bike courses for a living: “Her chase of this Olympic medal has taken a lot. To see her here, I can’t even explain it. We’ve made it. Her, the sport, we’ve made it now.”

Dennis Robinson, Donny’s father, felt the same way. He traveled with his family from California, and they all wore matching maroon T-shirts. He watched as one rider crashed after another, as one lonely bike even went tumbling down the hill without its occupant.

For years, he hoped BMX would get its due. He never expected it would be here, in China, at the Olympics.

“The impact is going to be enormous,” Dennis Robinson said. “It’s got to. Or, if nothing else, we had our few seconds of fame. I just hope it brings out more people".