Liam Phillips joins the UCI World Cycling Centre as BMX coach

Feb 01, 2018

Written by Bart de Jong

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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC), the International Federation’s high-level training and coaching centre, are pleased to announce the arrival of Great Britain’s Liam Phillips as coach for BMX Racing, one of cycling’s five Olympic disciplines. Originally from Somerset, in the south-west of England, Liam Phillips grew up in a family passionate about BMX. From the sport’s first Olympic appearance, at the Beijing 2008 Games, to his retirement from the circuit last November, the British athlete (28) won numerous major international titles. During his 10-year career he was crowned UCI World Champion in 2013, having claimed the silver medal in 2012, won two consecutive UCI World Cup overall titles (2014 and 2015), and reached the podium at 15 World Cup rounds.

A true inspiration to riders of all ages, he was elected onto the UCI Athletes’ Commission by his fellow athletes last summer to represent the discipline of BMX Racing.

At the UCI WCC, Liam Phillips will be in charge of a group of young athletes from the world over who, from March, will begin their preparation for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In recent years, the UCI WCC trainees have obtained brilliant results including Olympic podiums at Rio 2016 for Stefany Hernandez (Venezuela) and Carlos Alberto Ramirez (Colombia), and the title of 2015 UCI World Champion for Hernandez.

In Aigle, Switzerland, Liam Phillips will make use of the BMX Racing track and its two ramps (five metres and eight metres), inaugurated in 2014 to offer the UCI’s National Federations the possibility to benefit from ideal facilities for their athletes.

Liam Phillips said: “I am beyond excited to begin the next chapter of my BMX career at the UCI World Cycling Centre. I experienced fantastic coaching throughout my time as an athlete which helped me reach the top but also formed the basis of my motivation to coach. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with the athletes at the UCI WCC and helping them reach their potential and goals.”

UCI President David Lappartient declared: “We are delighted to welcome one of the stars of BMX Racing of the last 10 years who will train and inspire the future generations in one of our five Olympic disciplines. With the arrival of Liam, the UCI WCC confirms its status of a centre of excellence and further strengthens the assistance it offers to its National Federations.”

UCI WCC Director Frédéric Magné said: “I am very proud that Liam has chosen the UCI WCC to take up this new challenge after his long and successful career as a high-level athlete. During that career he demonstrated professionalism and seriousness to achieve his objectives and I am sure he will use his enormous experience to help the UCI WCC athletes from five continents who will be under his responsibility reach the highest level in their turn.”

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