Some famous BMX riders include Sam Willoughby, Maris Strombergs, Mike Day and Donny Robinson as of 2014. BMX is a sport characterized by many popular U.S. and international competitions. However, Strombergs, Day and Robinson became notable when they medaled in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. This was the first year that BMX riding was an Olympic sport.
Mike Day earned a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics, finishing just ahead of team member Donny Robinson who took the bronze. The gold medal was won by Maris Strombergs of Latvia. In addition to taking medals in these games, all three of these men have performed well at the BMX World Championships. Both Strombergs and Robinson have won the event, and Day has finished second on two occasions as of 2014. Sam Willoughby has been dominant in several world championships, winning the event in 2012 and 2014.
BMX, or bicycle motocross, refers to two forms of competition. The first is a form of racing that takes place on dirt tracks. The other form is freestyle BMX, which is stunt riding. Within freestyle BMX, there are the following disciplines: street, vert, dirt, park and flatland. BMX stunt bikes can usually be differentiated from traditional bikes by their smaller tires that allow for increased agility when performing tricks.
