‘We're always pushing each other': Inside Australia’s preparation for the BMX Freestyle Olympic Qualifier Series

Australia’s quest to earn BMX freestyle quota spots at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games begins in earnest this weekend, with the opening leg of the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) in Shanghai, China from May 16–19.

Only 12 men and 12 women will compete in BMX freestyle at the Olympics, with half of the quota positions to be decided through two OQS events.

Riders earn up to 50 points at each OQS event, with the top six riders on the most points after the two rounds booking their ticket to Paris. The second OQS event will take place in Budapest, Hungary from June 20–23.

Outside of the OQS, the remaining quota positions in BMX freestyle at the Olympics are decided by results from the 2022 UCI Urban Cycling World Championships and the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Each country can send a maximum of two men and two women to the Games.

The tough road through the OQS is known all-too-well by the five ARA Australian Cycling Team riders travelling to China, as world number 20 Jaie Toohey explained.

“It's by all means not going to be easy,” Toohey told AusCycling before departing on Monday.

“You've got 24 of the best riders in the world (who) are all going for really six spots. And the top three or four countries have three riders in there.

“I've been all around the world and done lots of shows and other competitions, but never anything like this before. So yeah, okay, it's another competition and yeah it means a lot, but it's also something really new to me that I've never been involved in.”

Toohey said the team has been drawing from the experience of Olympians Logan Martin and Natalya Diehm prior to the OQS, and explained how riders have been working together to improve their performance.

“(Logan and I) are always pushing each other. So really, we’re never really apart. If we're on the bike, we’re together," Toohey said.

“And that goes the same with Alec (Danelutti). Alec, myself and Logan, whenever we're riding, we’re riding together. It's never ever been, ‘okay, let's learn something that the other person can't do,’ or anything like that.

“We're always pushing each other.”

Toohey also revealed how a stable and consistent off-bike environment had played an important role in preparations for the OQS.

“All of us have been in a good routine. We have a new trainer that all of us get along really well with, and it's been really good for all of us.

“(BMX Technical Director) Wade Bootes does everything for us. And then Josh Meyer, he's our physio, and Tim Rigby, he's the new trainer. And just that tight group of people, like those three really have just been amazing for all of us, I think."

While Toohey can take confidence from an improved performance environment and a string of solid results over the last 12 months, the 33-year-old has no illusions about the difficulty of the task in front of the team.

“From last year till now I definitely think there's a big improvement (in my riding), but there's also going to be a big improvement in everyone. So, you just have to go out and put down what you've been working on and do those two solid runs and then just see what happens from there on out,” Toohey said.

“Obviously it's a dream (to qualify), and I feel like I have the potential, but is it going to be easy? No, it's going to be hard.

“There's only a handful of people in the world that can say they’ve been to an Olympic Games. So, to be able to do that, it would be an unreal feeling and an unreal accomplishment. But all I can do is literally try my best and go from there.”

ARA Australian Cycling Team

Men

• Alec Danelutti
• Logan Martin
• Jaie Toohey

Women

• Natalya Diehm
• Sarah Nicki

Event details

• Shanghai, China
• 16-19 May.

Live broadcast coverage on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.

OQS Event Hub

OQS Rider List

Main Image: collectif_theagency & FISE