BMX Freestyle representatives on UCI Athletes' Commission unveiled

Nov 20, 2017

Written by Bart de Jong

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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to announce that Ryan Nyquist and Nina Buitrago (BMX Freestyle) have been elected to represent their respective disciplines on the UCI Athletes' Commission. The election was held during the 2017 UCI Urban Cycling, in Chengdu, China, where all Elite athletes competing in these disciplines were eligible to vote. For BMX Freestyle, two Americans have been elected to the Commission: Ryan Nyquist won the vote (70,3%) from a list of four male candidates, while Nina Buitrago won 71,05% of the votes from a list of two female candidates.

Members of the Commission are elected for a four-year mandate running to the UCI Congress in 2021.

Last week's election is part of the renewal of all UCI Commissions in 2017.

Ryan Nyquist and Nina Buitrago will serve on the UCI Athletes’ Commission alongside Bernhard Eisel (Austria) and Marianne Vos (Netherlands) representing road; Maja Wloszczowska (Poland), Lukas Flückiger (Switzerland), Myriam Nicole (France) and Greg Minnaar (South Africa) representing mountain bike; Sarah Storey (Great Britain) and Colin Lynch (Ireland) representing para-cycling; Laura Smulders (Netherlands) and Liam Phillips (Great Britain) representing BMX Racing; Kenny Belaey, Tatiana Janickova (Trials), Kristina Vogel (Germany) and Kenny De Ketele (Belgium) representing track cycling; Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) and Simon Zahner (Switzerland) representing cyclo-cross.

This year, the UCI has decided to increase the representation of its various disciplines on the UCI Athletes' Commission by modifying its electoral system.

This new voting system sees the UCI Athletes' Commission grow from 13 to 20 members, with a perfect Men/Women balance for all disciplines.

In line with the election method of the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which elects its members at each Olympic Games, elections of the representatives from each discipline will take place every four years at the UCI World Championships of the relevant discipline.

The mission of the UCI Athletes' Commission is to:
- present the UCI Management Committee with a wide-range of considerations in order to improve the role of athletes in all disciplines;
- promote/improve the respect and rights of athletes across all forms of cycling and in all disciplines;
- promote ethics and all fair play rules inherent to the practice of cycling at all levels;
- provide a direct link with the UCI Management Committee for major events;
- inform athletes of the range of professional training available to them during and after their sporting careers;
- act as ambassadors and role models for all disciplines and at all levels.

According to the Commission's terms of reference, the President of the UCI Athletes' Commission is elected by his/her peers and is co-opted onto the UCI Management Committee, the executive body of the Federation which operates under the authority of the Congress. In addition, one representative on the Athletes' Commission from each discipline automatically becomes a member of the Commission of his/her discipline, and therefore represents the athletes on that Commission.

Pic by Leo Zhukov