BMX colombiano en la Cima: Especial Olímpico Paris 2024

El BMX  Race colombiano es sin duda potencia en el mundo y así se ha demostrado a lo largo de la historia del deporte, Colombia es el país a vencer en cada justa que se desarrolla en cualquier parte del mundo, la camiseta de Colombia es respetada en el mundo del BMX.

Este episodio es un homenaje a Colombia, a nuestros atletas, a las familias y por supuesto al deporte más emocionante del mundo el BMX. 

BMX colombiano en la Cima: Especial Olímpico Paris 2024


Host: Alejo Vargas.
Scripter: Erik King
Producer: Mauricio Castañeda.
Original Music:  Mauricio Castañeda y Alejo Vargas

PODWAY PODCAST NETWORK  2024.

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Witer Shrady. The wait is over. The bikes were painted with the colors
of the flags. The sweaters anduniforms have the final stitches. The land

(00:26):
of the state track is found inIbestlinés. It' s perfectly straightened.
The asphalt of the peraltes carefully agglomerate. The metals of the medals shine.
After the white line that announces thewinners, hundreds were the dream, but
only forty- eight managed the featto arrive in Paris, after three years

(00:55):
of Olympic cycle, in which theyhad to live it all raffling from s
and off the track, obstacles andopponents, a long- breathed race in
which there were losses, falls,fractures, injuries and many tears, where
in Paris two thousand twenty- fourwomen and twenty- four men arrive Twenty

(01:22):
- one different nationalities will climb upto the nine- metre partyer to face
elbow to elbow, flying on thedirt track, facing each jump, pedaling
with their souls to carry their flag, their country to the highest. Only
eight women and eight men will arriveat the grand finale that will deliver the

(01:42):
long- awaited Olympic medals, warriorsand warriors of flesh and bone, men
and women who have the gift offlying on their bicycles, floating on a
sandy track, looking with their frontwheel for the fine white line hello.

(02:05):
My name is Alejo Vargas and thisis a very special episode. It is
a tribute to which for us isthe most beautiful sport. Cheerful colorful and
intense of the world our beloved bm X. This episode is a Podway
Podcast Network production, written by EricKin and recorded on White Lemon Studios Rider

(02:30):
Ponte. Commodus adjusts the volume ofyour hearing aids that we will enjoy before
the matcher falls in Paris two thousandtwenty- four. BMX is a young
sport. Its beginnings were in the1960s and that it has become an Olympic
sport with only forty years of historyis all achievement. It' s a

(02:55):
prize to those kids who started playingracing with their bikes on sand ramp,
challenging gravity and trying to go fasterand faster. They managed to organize races,
then tournaments championships, league federations.Then came the world championships and the
recognition of the International Cyclistic Union.The UZI in Beijing two thousand eight had

(03:22):
its great presentation as a new sport, taking all the attention and delivering the
first Olympic medals for a sport thatso far was unknown to many. Or,
well, he was tensor Sots Wegi. I exist mararegro shiwo EU.

(03:46):
In the world circuit there were fewwomen at the elite level, so some
cyclomontañistas and down rows were encouraged tocomplete the Olympic cycle, qualify and seek
a medal. The podium went tothe United States and France. The bronze
went to Jill Kitner, the renownedAmerican mountaineer, the Ettia Lecorguillé, took
the silver and gold hung it inCarolina Chawson experienced Dawn Gilista and multiple world

(04:13):
champion in that sport. In men, things went at a different price.
The world circuit was well established.However, there were athletes who made the
jump from the mountaineering cycle and forCross to the bm X, such as

(04:34):
the Czech mical procoop or Jared Gravesof Australia, who even made the final
on board their jetti specially designed forthe Olympic BYU competition. The podium went
to the United States and Latvia.The Americans of great trajectory. Donny Robinson

(04:58):
and Mike Dave take the bronze andsilver respectively, while the gold was reserved
for a young man who until thattime was little known, even though he
came from crowning world champion Marys Strombers, who on that day would begin to
write his great story. The competitionin Beijin stole everyone' s attention.

(05:30):
The press praised the showiness and actionof the BMX. The public did not
stop applauding the sports community. Heundoubtedly received the BMX very well, which
opened the door for new disciplines.Latin Americans were represented with seven Riders from

(05:53):
Argentina, Christian Becerine and Ramiro Marinofrom Ecuador, Emilio Falla from Venezuela,
Jonathan el Mosquito Suárez. These threewere sometimes past talking to us here on
the podcast Let' s remember.It was something incredible and I, as
I mean, it came out totears because they were like, it'

(06:15):
s seeing a boy realize a dreamthat I tell him. I don'
t know how many more of thosemoments you' ll have. But of
that, I say, he's one of the most important people I
' ve ever seen and could witnessthere. Not because I have other effects
that have had great achievements, butI can' t be there because I
see it from afar. So everyonefarts to be there, I say,
I mean, I guess it happensto all the jobs that are there always
in all their careers. I don' t mean, pride is one'

(06:38):
s feeling and happiness. So it' s been something I think that'
s what I told you that manytimes for us athletes, when we'
re so involved in the sport andwhen we turn the page, we don
' t have this adrenaline or thisthing that we don' t know what
' s going to happen. Andwhat I felt that day let' s
say is like you still keep alivebeing a coach for one our guys who

(07:00):
are in high performance. And everythingkeeps you as yet because I have an
indescribable experience, because apart it's a lot of work and things that
you may not have done and youwant to correct so that they don'
t make mistakes, as maybe youwere wrong at some point in your sports
career. Then guide them from thetopic of how to get sponsorships, what
to do where to train, andnot only with training, but many times
how to guide them in the mentalpart and how the challenges they will encounter

(07:24):
day by day in their sports careerin Colombia. Sergio Nachos al Azar,
Augusto tin Castro and Andrés Jiménez,who managed to qualify for the final and
obtain a valuable fourth place with theirrespective Olympic diploma. And in the rostrum,
at the age of sixteen, therewas a girl who had won everything

(07:48):
so far and who had taken herto Beijing to learn about the atmosphere of
an Olympic Games. If that girlwas Mariana Pajón, Beijine opened a new
spectrum in the BMX, giving hera new level of sport. Now it

(08:09):
wasn' t enough to be thefastest on the track on the bike.
Both physical and mental training would becomepart of the ideal wrightr. The thousandths,
millimetres and chronometers would enter the gamein search of precision and perfection.

(08:30):
It was not long before Colombia becamethe protagonist of the Olympic bm X,
not only with its runners, butalso its technical body would shine with its
own light, as is the caseof Germán Medina, who, after obtaining
six Olympic medals as a Colombia picker, was signed by the United States by

(08:52):
team and Usai. Medina was alsotalking to us in previous episodes and commented,
from his coaching perspective, on thecharacteristics, aptitudes and qualities that a
rider who aspires to be Olympic shouldhave. This Germán Medina said if we
were taught to be combative, disciplined, structured with values, combative, warriors

(09:22):
not to bend among adversities. That' s what we' re going to
project into the future. But onthe contrary, we were covered by all
the needs. We were prevented fromfacing the realities of life, perhaps out
of affection, for not seeing achild suddenly seeking to overcome his own difficulties.
That' s probably what we're gonna have when adults are,

(09:46):
when those kids are adults. Thisis where the influence of parents, families,
relatives and siblings is a fundamental factor, where this first clash with life
to solve all the needs of ahuman being. We can' t take
it away from him for helping him, because there' s what we'

(10:07):
re doing is hurting him more.Because, finally, an athlete can do
all the picks in the world,develop the strength all he has, but
really the attitude to competitive challenges likeOlympic ones, is a survival issue where
he succeeds and reaches the highest,not only the fastest, the best,
the most technical, but the onethat has the ability to face threatening situations,

(10:30):
in situations where everyone wants to befirst and beat them in his favor.
It' s something that' sreally hard to express in words,
but I fly and repeat, forme the word is survival. After Beijing,
followed London, which for many hasbeen the best track and the best

(10:54):
in the history of the Olympic bmX. Well Japante Jam Hunt of the
Glory RuMP, Well t Just OnTHELEPN so Dislock Son Bueno son i h
Wafe with bros w o s hi j Jan poor On or Joe Hot
but Hector b fue feld Fast gunneN. The share of Latin American riders

(11:24):
would fall by only five for thisoccasion. Emilio Falla would repeat, as
would Andrés Jiménez. Brazil would participatefor the first time with Renato Recende,
Argentina would lead to ernesto blackboard andfor Colombia would debut Carlos Mario or Kndo
Okendo had a fall in the secondperalt during the first hit and in a

(11:48):
gonic classification, he would be ableto sneak in until the final, where
he achieved a very valuable bronze medal. Andrés Jiménez would win a sixth place,
taking back an Olympic diploma. MarysStrombers rewritten his name with golden letters
in the book of the Olympic bmX, being the first rider with two
Olympic gold medals xen Stel Kira,Browline, Trists s s il H The

(12:30):
Marshan alive in parfect Walthing. NowAustralia' s fis Sam Willow would take
silver and bronze, as we mentionedearlier, would be for Carlos Mario or
Kendo giving him the second Colombian OlympicMedal at BMX. Yes, second Olympic

(12:58):
medal, because the first was thegold of Mariana Pahón, who had a
more than consistent performance, winning allthe qualifying hits. Latin America was represented
in women with three participants, StephaneHernández from Venezuela, Scuella Stein from Brazil
and Mariana Pahón from Colombia. Marianaarrived in London without favoritism, but heat

(13:24):
after heat was attracting the attention ofthe press and its rivals, proving not
only to be the fastest on thetrack, but also the rider with a
great mental strength Walker got of tothe Best Fraction Head of c o Grey
Yan Colley o Ken Shck and Chantion, The Colomb The Founcey, Theartney,

(13:56):
entre Hearst, wheel Free Klin TheCW. In the final it was impressive,
winning from the start with a firstpowerful piece, managed to get to
the head of the group and byreaching the first peralte it already dominated with
a considerable advantage. The silver wentto roast Walker from New Zealand and the

(14:18):
Bronze, for Laura s Molders fromthe Netherlands, to the surprise of the
press and the public, to thelocal and favorite Shannis network It only reached
him for a sixth place, whileCaro the in Ucan from Australia and also
favorite, reached him for the fifthplace. Like Brinton t to the n

(14:54):
s Feld like an Qin n hdoubt, the London Olympics two thousand twelve

(15:30):
propelled the BMX by giving international.In the stands of the Below Park track
you could see superstars of the sizeof David Bechm and different celebrities. But
without a doubt, it would bea historic day for Mariana Pajón, the
Colombian BMX and Colombia as a country. This would be Mariana Pajón' s

(15:58):
first Olympic medal, which would openthe way for the following Colombian bm X
medals and would be the second Olympicgold medal for Colombia, a feat that
would begin to write the great storyof the BMX queen. The BMX was
consolidated as one of the great attractionsof the Olympics and in the world environment

(16:21):
achieved great notoriety with a World Cuporganized by the International Cyclistic Union, compared
around the world. Marys Strombers withtwo Olympic gold medals, two in world
championships and three golds in the EuropeanChampionship became a legend of the bm X,
earning himself the nickname of machine,the machine, the man with the

(16:45):
most titles in BMX. Let usremember the conversation we had with him when
he visited our country, in whichhe told us about his preparation and training,
both for Beijing two thousand eight andfor London two my. L s.
The N of The mental s,The sn h n H, The

(17:34):
Work, The change the s Iare go now river a very complicated track,

(18:14):
very technical and criticized by some.From the first hit there were incidents
and serious falls. It' simpossible to forget the breakup of the Nikyman
fork or the fall of Connorfields.There were thirty- two Wrightders representing their
countries. The Latin American quota wasmade up of six Wrightders Gonzalo el Chalo

(18:41):
Molina of Argentina, Alfredo Campo ofEcuador, Jefferson Milano of Venezuela, the
local Renato Recende, who repeated Olympicparticipation and by Colombia, the Bronze medallist
in London two thousand twelve, CarlosMario Kendo and Carlos Alberto Ramírez of Little

(19:03):
Magishan in women were sixteen participants headedby Olympic medalist Mariana Pajón, and with
her would be four Latin American riders, Gabriela Díaz of Argentina, the local
Priscilla Carnival and Stephany Hernández of Venezuela, who would participate in their second Olympics.
Well, the competitions in Rio,as expected, were exciting and vibrant.

(19:33):
Pon Duet Brook Ride, The Tos, Copper PITEPEC, C F G
l p Stel Mariana by chisig Na, tlis p S, Garrapate Ts and
and anderssen n Ol On Nedlans,Lor, slots ck or Brons, but
Fortlander, Mariana Pon the Right,Mariana Apaho had a solid participation, dominating

(19:57):
each hit and in the final showedthe great moment she was winning with property
in men. Australian Dean and Willowydominated all the hits until the semifinals,
giving them the advantage of choosing thelanes. In the final, obviously,
they chose lane one and lane twoof the inner line. However, the

(20:18):
departure of the Americans Connor Fields andNicklong was superior, ending the strategy of
the Australians Nick Yong, who wentfrom first to second peralt, but did
not withstand the pressure and lost positions. He reached the final line fighting bronze
with Carlos Ramírez. This is whereLyttle magistion pulled his magic out of the

(20:45):
helmet and in a final heart attackshot he took the Bronze medal, leaving
Nicklon in fourth place. Well,either I know that jog r k the
campfird of zero pas that the kor Bronze and ske the Son The Silver

(21:12):
It was for jelvan gorm of theNetherlands and the Gold took it the great
conor Fields. But to us,as Colombians, Carlos' s career knew
how to win. Gold. CarlosRamírez was also talking to us about the
most exciting moments of his sports career. Let us remember several moments in which

(21:34):
I say that in uncle as anindescribable emotion, an emotion that does not
then, like that one does notfit in his clothes, so to speak.
Obviously, the river. It's one of those biggest emotions I
' ve ever had. But forme, I believe that the Junior World
Championship was one of them, thefirst series, that the world field at

(21:56):
the age of eight was another.That' s not the first one.
In the two thousand two in BrazilAbreta, the double one had double or
two in Australia. So, like, it was stuff that was filling me
up and joys that went like littleby little telling me that I want more,
I want more, in the sensethat I always want to improve as

(22:18):
a sportsman and as a person.For two thousand twenty the Olympic event would
be in Tokyo, but we allknow what happened worldwide that year, so
the Olympic Games had to be postponedto two thousand twenty- one. However,
they retained the name of Tokyo twothousand twenty, the competition was strange
framed in a thermal atmosphere for whichno one was prepared without spectators in the

(22:41):
stands in Colombia. In addition,there had been the controversy of the participation
of Vincent Peluar instead of diego Arboleda, which is worth mentioning more not to
go into detail the name of Colombiain the BMX. A name had already

(23:03):
been forged worldwide and would be thecountry to win. Twenty- four men
competed for the medals, Six LatinAmericans, Brazilian Renato Resende would compete for
the third time in a Alfredo CampoOlympics in Ecuador. I would also repeat
participation for Argentina, I would goNicolás Torres and for Colombia, Vincent Peluart

(23:27):
and Carlos Ramírez. The Little magistionIs This is the of the o h

(24:07):
N of France and Conor Fields ofthe United States as favorites, but things

(24:30):
on the track were at a differentprice, and Nick Keman of the Netherlands
from lane eight took the gold medalsilver went to the British Ky White and
Carlos Ramirez of Little Magian. Ourlittle magician would hang his bronze for the
second time in an Olympic final,making history and turning Colombia into the country

(24:52):
with more Olympic medals. BMX.In women, the competition was no less
exciting. For this time the participationwas equaled to the men with twenty-
four riders for Latin America. Wehad three riders, including Mariana Pahón,

(25:14):
who again reached the finals leading theelimination hits and remaining second in the semifinal.
Your Is Criks Of Lol Lord trailersOf stri ah pet the on the
mel es brit traver of Right,the shawl to the phase t o the
state imel mitch is the my nt t s o n u n to

(25:40):
the sck and bet but the stoh pre es t netlands b s o
n o s u s t thetouch, the hit the London the n
c h scnm cs out t ttriana h on the Seven Metal sir cst

(26:11):
of Frey Page miro schmotece of theNetlandstop. In the final, the big
surprise went to Britain' s BettanyScriver, who came from being world champion.
He took the gold medal a fewmeters away. There was Mariana Pajón
who had to fight with being thefavorite and the rider to beat for the

(26:32):
others. The bronze medal was forMeryl Smodders from the Netherlands. Mariana Pajón
would become the first and only BMXraider with three consecutive Olympic medals. Colombia
is the country with the most Olympicmedals in BMX, with a total of

(26:53):
six and those coming. We arecertainly a power in this sport and we
say this as runners, not asjournalists. Colombia' s shirt is respected
on any track. It' samazing how far you' ve come to

(27:17):
our sport of some kids playing jumpingsand ramps to a discipline at the Olympic
Games. But beyond the competitions,we want to stop on the road,
stand in the middle of the trackand think write for you what BMX means,

(27:37):
what are the sensations that you getfrom being in the matcher along with
seven other riders who also seek thesame victory. We listened to Maris Strombers
what he told us about his feelingsbefore going up to the partyrnbby Neppen the

(28:06):
tora moe lot arly is c upthe t o th i h ske n

(28:34):
t i s n t o thehe is not ofienthn het town on t
i n love all that t wc the slo the the the n t

(29:30):
o the cras lo s s smo the n o the rum for the

(30:07):
n on the walk of typor theo the u the t o stern picast

(31:00):
the egg carsho aps the BMX Everyday becomes more competitive and is already part
of the sport elite. He's transformed lives, he' s written
history, and for some it's a lifestyle. We also had a
conversation with Carlos Mario Kendo, winnerof the bronze medal in London two thousand
twelve. This was what he toldus about his life before and after the

(31:23):
Olympic Medal and in general, thereare many people dear, say, but
he calls us a lot with thepeople of France too, because well you
can, he is also very closewith Chilmaine in general. Let' s
say it' s not like it' s like a super friend from all
over the world, but it's like some countries and more South Americans,

(31:44):
that we understand each other so easilyand also and that corridor that you
meet sometimes and say to you wedon' t have feeling, we don
' t have that, that camaraderie. No, I don' t mean
no. Let' s say it' s not that everyone doesn' t
have to be super loved or superspecial, but let' s say there
are times when we say it's more the race situation. I think
people put you a lot of competitionand the stain is that, after people

(32:05):
come out of everybody' s modeof competition, he' s super loved.
But when we' re in competitionmode that' s the way we
normally keep ourselves in tes everyone islike in their situation. Then I almost
think you could say that everyone ishalf that way. But there we do
not, that are very quiet forthose who love this sport, for those
for whom we know its history andhave been part of it, witnessing its
evolution, fills us with grace andpride to see that for the fifth time

(32:30):
an Olympic medal will be given.For what we' re passionate about.
We saw the downhill BMX, BMXtracks in stadiums and coliseums. Our sport
massed, our competitions were watched ontelevision and a generation was created that managed
to live for the first time frombm X. Our bikes went from light

(32:51):
steel such as chrome, aluminum orcarbon to state- of- the-
art. The components are in titaniumand ceramics, seeking to be as efficient
and lightweight as possible. Now thereare sports study centers to analyze the track
data, obtain the telemetry of thepartyer, all in search of perfection,

(33:13):
as in elite cycling or in formulaone. Now, on the BMX everything
counts, everything influences and thinking thatit all started with kids playing jumping sand
ramps. As Colombians and fans ofMariana, Carlos Diego, Gabriela and El

(33:36):
Core we dream of new medals andremain the country with the most Olympic medals
in the history of bm X.We dream that Mariana will get a gold
medal again, that Carlos Ramírez willget another medal and why not that it
' s different from the bronze thatI' m about to give her a

(33:58):
spin if she didn' t goto Tokyo and prove that it' s
done that the core takes out theforbidden ones and gets a medal. Like
Gabby Bolet, we know we havewhat with. The first and second of
August in Paris will be twenty-four men and twenty- four women fighting

(34:21):
for Olympic medals on the roofed trackof Saint Quenting N and Bellinés. It
is the first time that the trackis not built for the event, but
it is one that already existed andthat is very well known by all riders.
Unlike the previous tracks, this ismuch less showy in a certain way,
less spectacular. It doesn' thave long straight lines like Tokyo or

(34:45):
huge jumps like Rio. It isvery technical, where the bike domain and
strategies in the peraltes will be key. It' s a clue that'
s good for ours, that they' ll prove that we' re still
the country to win. My nameis Alejo Vargas and for me it is

(35:05):
a pleasure to be a BMX runnerand share with you my passion. This
is Alejo Vargas DMX Podcast' sshow. I hope you enjoyed this piece
of audio, this podcast dedicated toColombia and the BMX World Chao