2016 UCI BMX World Championships – Medellin, Colombia

The World Championships are done & dusted and the Kiwis stepped up to the task of taking on the world once again. The team was smaller this year with 29 riders riding 35 Challenge class entries & seven Championship riders travelling to Medellin to compete.

The event build up cut it fine & the facility only opened the morning of first practice, but once it started everything ran normal.

The Kiwi team was in the thick of it once again, assisting with building up of staging & also track maintenance, when the overnight rain damaged the track. So hats off to all those “non-riders” that helped above & beyond make the event run smoother.

RESULTS

As with any Worlds there are highs & lows, shock and amazement at the riding level. 2016 was no different. NZ punched above it weight & put in some solid results to make us proud, as a team, as family, as kiwis.

To make a Worlds BMX final and get a W ranking is a massive achievement. A semi means you are in the top 16 in the world… Of the small NZ team of 29 challenge class rider entries that went over to Colombia 15 are now world ranked, add the 8 in the semis & you have 23 of 29 in the top 16 in the world… that’s pretty good numbers.

Challenge Class

8 riders made semis
1 rider made W7
1 rider made W6
3 riders made W5

2 riders made W4
2 riders made W3
2 riders made W2
4 World Champions (W1)

Championship Class

1 rider made semis
1 World Champion

The Championship team raced on a separate & much bigger track, the weather didn’t play ball either & the heavy weight of Olympic qualifying played on every moto. NZs small team had the extremes of highs & lows and there is a lot to build on from the results. Congratulations to Maynard for a first year Jnr Elite W1!

A huge thank you goes to Sue Walker the Challenge & Non-HP team Manager for doing so much running around to make the riders lives easier, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes, so many contacts & knowledge used to make this happen. Then to all the parent helpers, fixing bikes, holding drink bottles, talking to & supporting the kids, this makes life easier for those nervously sitting in the stands, thank you.

2016 UCI BMX WORLD CHAMPSHIPS – CHALLENGE CLASS 20” RESULTS

2016 UCI BMX WORLD CHAMPSHIPS – CHALLENGE CRUISER CLASS RESULTS

2016 UCI BMX WORLD CHAMPSHIPS – CHAMPIONSHIP CLASS RESULTS

The 2017 Worlds event will be held in Rock Hill South Carolina in the USA, July 25-30. If you looking at competing in this event, please check out the website for information at http://rockhillscbmx.com

Then if you are really forward thinking, the 2018 Worlds event has been confirmed as Baku in Azerbaijan.
No information has been given about this event as yet, but the location & facility was the host of the successful European Games in 2015.

Congratulations to all the 2016 Worlds competitors and well done on your results.

Regards

Dion Earnest

Executive Officer
BMX New Zealand Inc