Colombian BMX and MTB cycling heading to the Paris Olympics

With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games getting closer, Colombian cycling is preparing to shine in the BMX Racing and MTB modalities.

In mountain biking (MTB), Colombia is ranked 22nd in the men’s UCI elite ranking with 2,509 points, while in the women’s branch it is ranked 31st with 1,775 points. To qualify for the Games, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) must position among the first 8 places in the Olympic classification ranking or between 9 and 19 to obtain an individual place.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) will be able to obtain a maximum of four Olympic quotas (two per gender). The NOCs that occupy first to eighth place in the Olympic classification ranking (between May 7, 2022 and May 26, 2024), which is obtained by adding the participations of the three best athletes from each country, They will obtain two tickets to Paris 2024, while those classified from ninth to 19th place will qualify for one athlete.

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BMX Racing: Obstacles and glory on the track

For BMX Racing, Colombia is in a more favorable position. In the category The men’s team occupies second place in the UCI elite ranking with 12,006 points, while the women’s team is in fifth place with 9,906 points.

There are four ways to qualify for the Olympic Games in BMX Racing:

Olympic Ranking: The 34 places are awarded to the NOCs that add the most UCI points from their three best athletes (elite and under 23) between August 1, 2022 and June 2, 2024.

Continental Championships: Winners from each continent (Africa, America and Asia) in the 2023 BMX Continental Championships earn a spot (3 total, 1 per gender).

UCI BMX Racing World Championship 2023: The best elite athlete (man and woman) in this championship obtains a place for their NOC, as long as they have not obtained it through other means.

BMX World Cup 2024: Similar to the 2023 World Cup, this event provides two spots (one per gender) to the best elite athlete, but only for NOCs that have not obtained places through other means.

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The road to glory

Colombia has great chances of qualifying several cyclists in BMX Racing, especially in the men’s branch. In MTB, the fight will be closer, but with effort and dedication, Colombian cyclists could reach a place in the Olympics.