Brent Emery

Last updated

Brent Emery
Personal information
Born (1957-09-15) September 15, 1957 (age 67)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Medal record
Men's cycling
Representing Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1984 Los Angeles Team pursuit

Brent Emery (born September 15, 1957) was a cyclist for the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he won a silver medal in the team pursuit. [1] He is now a business owner and cycling advocate in the metro Milwaukee area. He married Julie Emery (Fluet) on August 3, 1985 after meeting her at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where she came to watch her brother, Steve Hegg win a gold and silver medal, also in cycling. They live in Menomonee Falls, Wi and have two children, John Robert Emery and Ashley Emery, and two grandchildren Lexus and Lola Emery.

Contents

Cycling career

Emery began racing bicycles in 1973. At 18 years old, he was a regional qualifier for the 1976 Olympic trials in the sprint event, though he did not participate in the final trials. He won the 1980 Olympic trials in the 1 km event. Because of the boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games by the U.S. team, no American athletes went to Moscow.

He won seven USA National Championships: two in the USAC 1 km event (1980 & 1981) and the USAC Points Race 1983. Four championships came in the ABR (American Bicycle Racing) National Championships in the Masters Division. In 1981, Emery set a world mark for the fastest average speed in races over 100 miles by winning the 10th stage of the Tour of Chile in 3h 33min 25 sec for the 174 km (108 miles), a 30.2 mph average speed. This mark, which was the fastest in the world up to that point for amateurs and professional cyclists, stood for about 15 years. When he was active on the international cycling circuit, he competed in a total of 19 countries.

In 1984, he again made the U.S. Olympic team, receiving a silver medal, from his team mate Dave Grylls, in the Los Angeles Olympics in the 4000 meter Team Pursuit event. [2] [1]

Emery won overall titles at the International Cycling Classic in 2009 and 2010 for the 35+ age group. He placed 6th in three events (750m TT, Points Race and Team Sprint) at the 2007 World Masters Cycling Track Championships in Sydney, Australia. The last pro level bicycle race that he place in the prize money was in the Giro De Grafton in 2013 at the age of 56.

After 45 years of continuous bicycle racing, in June 2016, Brent entered his last pro bicycle race at the age of 59, retiring from competitive racing. He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and a leaking mitral heart valve. He is still quite active in the bicycle, triathlon and running community, but cannot push efforts to get his heart rate to a high level.

Cycling business

Emery co-owns Emery's Cycling, Triathlon, & Fitness Shops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his brother, Bennett Emery. The business was founded by his parents in 1963. Their business is regularly voted as Milwaukee's best bicycle shop. They have been awarded as a Top 100 bicycle retailer in the USA and a Top 50 Triathlon retailer.

Emery has also been involved in the design of cycling equipment. In 1981, he designed the first of what would later be called the funny bikes that propelled the USA to a record medal haul at the 1984 Olympics. That bike, built to Emery's specifications by John Stinsmen of Allentown, Pennsylvania helped persuade the U.S. Cycling Federation (now USA Cycling) to build the fastest bikes in the world.

In 1982, Emery was the first rider from the USA to ride a disc wheel, which was made for the USA team by aerodynamics expert Chester Kyle. In 1987, Emery became involved in the development of a new style of aerodynamic handlebars.

Emery has worked on bicycle fitting and equipment for many years. His concepts, along with that of other cycling industry professionals (Frank Day, Leonard Zinn, High Sierra Cycles etc.) influenced some bicycle companies to put shorter cranks on production bicycles for short riders, especially for the triathlon.

Through their cycling business, Emery has been active in designing bicycles for the disabled of all ages, and in particular youths. The modifications he has designed are groundbreaking in the medical / physical therapy community and in the bicycle industry. Some manufacturers of adaptive bicycles are changing their products based on Brent's designs and input. Emerys company will be going into production on some of the items they re-manufacture to sell to other bicycle dealers as well as the public. Emery has volunteered for Variety: The Children's Charity, adapting bicycles for children with special needs. In 2011, Variety International presented him with an award for service at its world conference.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triathlon</span> Swimming, cycling, and distance running race

A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. The word is of Greek origin, from τρεῖς, 'three', and ἆθλος, 'competition'.

Trek Bicycle Corporation is a bicycle, cycling product and electric motorcycle manufacturer and distributor under brand names Trek, Electra Bicycle Company, Bontrager, and Diamant Bikes. The company has previously manufactured bikes under the Gary Fisher, LeMond Racing Cycles, Klein, and Villiger Bikes brand names. With its headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin, Trek bicycles are marketed through 1,700 independently owned bicycle shops across North America, subsidiaries in Europe, Asia, South Africa, as well as distributors in 90 countries worldwide. Nearly all Trek bicycles are manufactured outside the United States, in countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, and China.

Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling sports include artistic cycling, cycle polo, freestyle BMX, mountain bike trials, hardcourt bike polo and cycleball. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for cycling and international competitive cycling events. The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is the governing body for human-powered vehicles that imposes far fewer restrictions on their design than does the UCI. The UltraMarathon Cycling Association is the governing body for many ultra-distance cycling races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Cycling</span> Governing body for cycling sport in Great Britain

British Cycling is the main national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Britain at the world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and selects national teams, including the Great Britain (GB) Cycling Team for races in Britain and abroad. As of 2020, it has a total membership of 165,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mari Holden</span> American Olympic and World Champion cyclist

Mari Kim Holden is an American Olympic medalist and World Champion in the sport of cycling. She won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic Games time trial in Sydney, Australia and the world time trial championship later that year. She also won six U.S. championships, becoming the first American woman to win three consecutive U.S. time trial championships (1998–2000) and scoring a double by winning the U.S. time trial and road championships in 1999. In 2016 she was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame as a Modern Road and Track Competitor and presently works as a community director at USA Cycling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnus Bäckstedt</span> Swedish cyclist

Magnus Bäckstedt is a Swedish former professional road bicycle racer. His most notable achievement in cycling is winning Paris–Roubaix in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain bike racing</span> Competitive cycle sport discipline

Mountain bike racing is the competitive cycle sport discipline of mountain biking held on off-road terrain. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised the discipline relatively late in 1990, when it sanctioned the world championships in Durango, Colorado. The first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series took place in 1988. Its nine-race circuit covered two continents—Europe and North America—and was sponsored by Grundig. Cross-country racing was the only World Cup sport at this time. In 1993, a six-event downhill World Cup was introduced. In 1996, cross-country mountain biking events were added to the Olympic Games. In 2006, cross-country mountain biking events became part of the World Deaf Cycling Championships for the first time in San Francisco, USA.

Orbea is a bicycle manufacturer based in Mallabia, Spain. It is part of the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation and Spain's largest bicycle manufacturer. Orbea manufactures and assembles bikes at their own factories in Spain and Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Carpenter-Phinney</span> American cyclist and speed skater

Connie Carpenter-Phinney is an American retired racing cyclist and speed skater who won four medals in World Cycling Championship competitions in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was a three-time overall winner of the Coors International Bicycle Classic. She also won the gold medal in the cycling road race at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, as well as twelve U.S. national championships. She remains the youngest American woman to compete at the Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felt Bicycles</span> American bicycle company

Felt Racing is an American bicycle brand based in Irvine, California. Felt produces road, track, cyclocross, electric bicycles, and cruiser bikes. All design is completed in the United States and the majority of production comes from Asia. The company also has a strong reputation in the time trial/triathlon bike area and for several years provided bicycles to UCI teams in the Tour de France. Felt still supports several professional level race teams including Hincapie Racing and Team Twenty 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cervélo</span> Canadian bicycle manufacturer

Cervélo Cycles is a manufacturer of racing and track bicycles. Cervélo uses CAD, computational fluid dynamics, and wind tunnel testing at a variety of facilities including the San Diego Air and Space Technology Center, in California, US, to aid its designs. Frame materials include carbon fibre. Cervélo currently makes 5 series of bikes: the C series and R series of road bikes, the latter featuring multi-shaped, "Squoval" frame tubes; the S series of road bikes and P series of triathlon/time trial bikes, both of which feature airfoil shaped down tubes; and the T series of track bikes. In professional competition, cyclists have ridden Cervélo bicycles to victory in all three of road cycling's grand tours: the Tour de France; the Giro d'Italia; and the Vuelta a España. In 2023, Cervélo achieved a historic sweep of all three grand tours in a single year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USA Cycling</span> Governing body for bicycle racing in United States

USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and BMX across all ages and ability levels. In 2015, USAC had a membership of 61,631 individual members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Armstrong</span> American cyclist (born 1973)

Kristin Armstrong Savola is a former professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, the winner of the women's individual time trial in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Before temporarily retiring to start a family in 2009, she rode for Cervélo TestTeam in women's elite professional events on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) and UCI Women's World Cup. She announced a return to competitive cycling beginning in the 2011 season, competing for Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 at the Redlands Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Carmichael (cyclist)</span> American cyclist

Chris Carmichael is a retired professional cyclist and cycling, triathlon and endurance sports coach. He was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team, the 7-Eleven Professional Cycling Team (1985–1987), and the Schwinn-Wheaties professional cycling team (1988–1989). He started coaching with the United States Cycling Federation in 1990, was the U.S. Men's Road Cycling team coach for the 1992 Olympic Games and the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team Head Coach for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Thomas Charles Godwin was a British track cyclist, active during the 1940s and 1950s. He held national records and raced abroad. He later became a coach, manager, and administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inga Thompson</span>

Kristin Inga Thompson is a retired road bicycle racer. She competed at the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympics with the best result of eighth place in 1988. She won silver medals at the world championships in 1987, 1990 and 1991, and placed third at the Tour de France in 1986 and 1989. Nationally she won United States National Road Race Championships in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1993.

Boardman Bikes, Ltd. is a British bicycle manufacturer, founded by the professional cyclist Chris Boardman, Sarah Mooney and Alan Ingarfield, and launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2007. Ingarfield is the Chairman of the company, Mooney is the CEO and Boardman heads Research & Development alongside the special projects program B56.

Aaron Jacob Trent is an American Paralympic Cyclist specializing in track racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Marquardt</span> American track cyclist

Mandy Marquardt is an American female Sprint track cyclist, representing the United States and Team Novo Nordisk, the world's first-all diabetes professional cycling team. Marquardt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. Marquardt is an 27-time U.S. National Champion, 4-time U.S. National Record Holder in the Standing 500m Time Trial, Standing 1 km Time Trial, Team Sprint (2-rider) and Team Sprint (3-rider).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Whitmore</span> American triathlete and para-cyclist (born 1976)

Jamie Whitmore Cardenas is a former American triathlete turned para-cyclist. Whitmore began her sports career competing in the XTERRA Triathlon throughout the 2000s. As a XTERRA triathlete, she won over thirty events and was the XTERRA world champion in 2004. After being diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in 2008, Whitmore moved to para-cycling in the 2010s and competed in championships held by the Union Cycliste Internationale.

References

  1. 1 2 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Brent Emery". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  2. "Olympedia – Cycling Track at the 1984 Summer Olympics".