GRASSROOTS
GRASSROOTS
Since becoming an Olympic sport in 2008, BMX has flown over the ramps as one of the fastest growing disciplines in the sport of cycling. British Cycling’s Pete Maxwell looks at the reasons behind its rising popularity
D
uring the extreme sports boom of the 1970s, BMX riders were just starting to move from the streets and dirt tracks and into
dedicated clubs to join up with other like- minded enthusiasts. Fast forward to 2011, and British Cycling is now staging more nationwide BMX races than ever before, has a BMX World Champion, a new In- door BMX Centre nearing completion and will host the 2012 UCI BMX World Cham- pionships in Birmingham – months before the Olympic Games in London. Somewhere in between though, BMX
has been through tough times. In the late 1980s the sport virtually disap- peared, and would have done but for the hard work of volunteers who remain cru- cial to every cycling discipline. While the 1996 World Championships were held in Britain, the sport had already suffered a huge decline, with a steep fall-off in rider numbers, a lack of new blood com- ing into the sport and existing facilities falling into disrepair.
The inclusion of BMX biking as an Olympic sport in 2008 has
contributed to its rise in popularity
Building on foundations Today, the growth of British Cycling as an organisation has been mirrored by the resurgence of interest in BMX. Many factors have contributed to this, but un- doubtedly the adoption of BMX as an Olympic sport in 2008 was a major factor. Due to this Olympic status, funding
for new facilities has become available and a new focus and attitude has seen BMX become a creditable sport. Thus
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