FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Name: Sarah Walker
Age: 22
Hometown: Cambridge, New Zealand
Sponsors: BikeNZ, SPARC, Beef+Lamb NZ, Nike, ABD, Sony

You're running number 96, is there any special reason behind that number?
Sarah: At the age of 8, our school class studied the 1996 Olympic 

Here's another example of what can happen once a sport makes it to the Olympics. On Friday the BMX Supercross track was officially openend at the Olympic Training Facility in Papendal, Holland. 300.000 Euro it cost, funded by the NOC NSF. The track was made by Tom Ritz, the person who is also going to build the Olympic track for London this May. The plans were already available and the Dutch BMX selection now has a training facility that they can use to prepare for the 2012 Olympics in London.

South African team coach Jonathan Chislett is optimist that the local riders who will compete at the event will fly South Africa's flag high, despite the loss to injury of superstar Sfiso Nhlapo. When all the action gets underway at Alexander Park in Pietermaritzburg on 8 and 9 April the bulk of the host nation’s hopes will rest on the shoulders of talented Gavin Lubbe, whom Chislett expects will almost certainly be aiming to at least qualify for the final, with the likes of Kane Herbert, Teagan O’Keeffe and youngster Kyle Dodd carrying a portion of the weight as well.

“The fact that Skizo (Nhlapo) won’t be there is obviously a great pity but this hasn’t affected the way the rest of the guys have been preparing in anyway. They’ve all been working really hard since mid-December to be ready for the nationals which are just around the corner and then the Supercross shortly after that so they’ll definitely be one hundred percent ready,” said Chislett.

“Gavin Lubbe’s been training hard in the States and has had Kyle 

Name: David Herman
Age: 22
Hometown: Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Sponsor: Intense Bicycles

Since BMX has become an olympic sport a lot of racers have stepped up their training programs making the competition tougher as we move towards 2012. Can you explain how 

The title race in the season-opening UCI BMX Supercross World Cup has been thrown wide with the news that World Champ Maris Strombergs confirmed he will not be able to compete in next month's event in Pietermaritzburg due to injuries he sustained in a recent BMX crash not having healed in time. 'The Machine', as Strombergs is more commonly known as within BMX circles, broke the scaphoid bone in his hand, dislocated his wrist and damaged his AC ligaments in his shoulder when he crashed out of the ABA Grands late last year.

He underwent surgery on his hand and wrist on the day of his accident and then on his shoulder a month later. However Strombergs has not recovered sufficiently to be able to take his place on the startline in Pietermaritzburg on 8 April, and has a little way to go before he can start contemplating racing again.

"My shoulder is feeling a lot better and isn’t bothering me at all