Ireland’s Elite BMX rider Kelvin Batey is aiming to secure Olympic qualification this weekend in the UCI BMX World Championships in Medellin, Colombia, across the Elite Time Trial and Elite Racing events.
This is the last opportunity for Irish cycling to qualify another spot in the Olympics, having already qualified two spots on the road and one on the track, and Batey has spent the past week acclimatising to the Colombian heat and humidity.
The BMX Time Trial takes place on Saturday (6pm Irish time), and the Race Qualifiers (6.30pm) on Sunday.
The Time Trial is a straight forward race against the clock while in the Race category, the riders qualify through the rounds by way of motos, where eight riders line up with the top four advancing to the next round.
This particular BMX track is regarded by many as the most technically challenging track ever constructed for a UCI Worlds event.
Batey said: “It’s been a great week here in Colombia, and I’ve been itching to get on the track since arriving.
"There’s a lot riding on the next few days and with the great support I’ve received out here from the Irish team and people back home, I’m looking forward to getting on the gate and putting in the performance of my career and qualifying a place for Ireland at the Olympic Games.”
BMX racing has been part of the Olympic Games since 2008, and should Batey qualify he will be Ireland’s first BMX Olympian.
