Get close to some of the hottest names in BMX this weekend when Chula Vista hosts the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup this weekend.
The event has been held all over the world from Germany to Australia, but this will be the first time it's held on U.S. soil and right at the Olympic Training Center.
More than 150 of the world’s top male and female athletes will be competing. Riders will race the clock during the time trials Friday in an effort to qualify for Saturday night’s finals. After an autograph session at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the athletes will compete in the finals.
In conjunction with the event, the sport watched as seven legends of BMX Racing and Freestyle from the 1970’s and 1980’s were inducted into the National BMX Hall of Fame at the San Diego Hall of Champions Thursday.
Current BMX athletes Nicholas Long, Kristopher Fox, Arielle Martin and first-ever Olympic silver medalist in Olympic BMX, Mike Day answered questions at a special luncheon held at the Hall Wednesday.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Day said at the event. “Never thought my sport would be in there, let alone get a medal. But with London coming up, round two, that’s the plan.”
Arielle Martin’s first time on the bike was at 5 years old, with the influence of her Dad, who ran a local bike shop in Utah, but it was her mom who pushed and supported her.
“My dad’s the laid back type and my mom’s competitive, so that’s where I got it all from,” said Martin. “Training has been awesome leading up to this race. We’re super exited to have a World Cup event on our home soil. We gotta get out there and show our stuff.”
Kristopher Fox, who is training at the Olympic Training Center for the 2012 Games, talked about the best thing that has happen to the BMX Sports. “So far being able to race in the Olympic trials at 19 years old, that was pretty cool. It wasn’t a win, but it was the best experience so far,” he said.
Like Fox, all the athletes - Martin, Long, and Day all - hope to compete in London at the 2012 Olympics.
