18 Americans through to mains at BMX Olympic Test Event
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Connor Fields flying high above the sold-out crowd in London.
BMX fans can watch the main event on NBC this Sunday, August 19 at 3:30 ET.
In all 18 American men and women posted initial time trial runs fast enough to put them in the top half of their gender group to move into Saturday’s main event. Three American men and three women also scored initial times in the top 16, qualifying them for a second run; termed the Time Trial Superfinal.
On his first try of the 2012 Olympic course, Fields posted the top time amongst the vast 126-man field on the initial run at 43.404. Going at it a bit differently in the Time Trial Superfinal, the 19 year-old cruised to a sixth place finish with a 44.013.
“The first run I was just trying to get a smooth lap so I would qualify,” explained Fields. “I wasn’t too worried about the actual time; I was just trying to get a clean lap and ended up riding a really good lap. The last one I was really going for gold and I think I tried a bit too hard and would have been better off to have just stayed relaxed. Tomorrow will be a different ball game though. You really have to go all out, get in front and then not make any mistakes.”
Weston Pope (Clarksville, Ind.) and Tyler Faoro (Coral Springs, Fla.) joined Fields in the TT Superfinal, coming in 13th and 16th respectively to put them in good position for tomorrow. In all 12 American men earned a spot amongst the top 64 and will move on to tomorrow’s eight-up contest to decide who is the early favorite to win Olympic gold.
Australia’s Sam Willoughby posted a 42.625 on his second run to edge out a pair of Frenchmen in the Time Trial Superfinal and qualify first for Saturday’s head-to-head competition.
On the women’s side recent junior elite world championship bronze medalist Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro-Rockstar) made her initial run in 41.068, good enough for fourth; while teammate Amanda Geving (Largo, Fla./MCS Bicycles, Troy Lee Designs) was just behind her in sixth. The pair fell to seventh and eighth in their second runs, which determines seeding order for the top 16 who advance, but sit in good form moving into tomorrow’s main.
The track inside the still-under-construction Olympic Village was at capacity for Friday's time trials.
“The first time I ride a little conservative, to try and make sure I qualify for tomorrow,” explained Martin. “If you make it to the second round it is a bit more fun. You get to open it up and ride really hard. I just pushed a little too much through that first jump.”
The stage is now set for Saturday’s mains including 1/8th finals, quarter finals, semis and the final. Audiences all over America can watch via tape delay on NBC Sunday at 3:30 ET.
UCI BMX Supercross World Cup
BMX Olympic Test Event
London, England
August 19-20, 2011
PHOTOS
FULL RESULTS
Amanda Geving on the way to sixth on her first run with the Olympic velodrome as a backdrop.
1. Sam Willoughby (AUS) 42.625
2. Joris Daudet (FRA) 42.767
3. Sylvain Andre (FRA) 43.317
6. Connor Fields (Henderson, Nev./Chase BMX) 44.013
13. Weston Pope (Clarksville, Ind.) 44.660
16. Tyler Faoro (Coral Springs, Fla.) 44.616
20. Joshua Meyers (Treasure Island, Fla.) 44.819
23. David Herman (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Intense BMX) 44.940
25. Mike Day (San Diego, Calif./GT-Red Bull) 45.049
27. Barry Nobles (Wetumpka, Ala.) 45.227
37. Tommy Zula (New Carlisle, Ohio) 45.608
44. Nicholas Long (Lakeside, Calif./Haro-Rockstar) 45.719
47. Kyle Bennett (Conroe, Texas) 45.853
29. Jason Rogers (Mesquite, Texas) 45.902
55. Corey Reid (Avondale, Ariz.) 46.493
Elite Women’s Time Trial qualifiers & Superfinal Results
1. Magalie Pottier (FRA) 40.126
2. Lauren Reynolds (AUS) 40.170
3. Shanaze Reade (GBR) 40.309
7. Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro-Rockstar) 41.554
8. Amanda Geving (Largo, Fla./MCS Bicycles, Troy Lee Designs) 41.844
14. Arielle Martin (Spanaway, Wash./Intense BMX) 44.777
17. Amanda Carr Carr (Punta Gorda, Fla./Endeavor-Paul Willimas) 43.188
22. Danielle George (Palmdale, Calif./Supercross BMX) 43.776
26. Ashley Verhagen (Simi Valley, Calif.) 45.188
For more information visit the London Prepares Series’ official webpage.
About the Olympic BMX Track
Located in the north of the Olympic Park in Stratford in east London, the new BMX Track is approximately 450-meters long and features an eight-meter high ramp at the start, followed by jumps, bumps and tightly banked corners. For the first time ever the track features the ‘Oakley Underground,’ a 15-meter long tunnel, part of the women’s second straight and the ‘Red Bull Box Jump’, a challenging and technical feature where elite men fly on a box and off again. The BMX Track will host both the men’s and women’s Olympic BMX competitions next summer, with a total of 48 riders competing for two gold medals.
This Article Published August 19, 2011 For more information contact:
