Robert de Wilde is a Dutch professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990 to 2003. His nicknames are "The Flying Dutchman" in reference to his speed and his nationality and "Afro-Bob" because of his long wild, uncombed hair. He was chosen for the Dutch BMX Olympic team to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China where he reached the quarter-finals.
The women's BMX racing competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 20–22 at the Laoshan BMX Field, the first to be officially featured in the Olympic cycling program.
The men's sprint at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17–19 at the Laoshan Velodrome. There were 21 competitors from 15 nations, with each nation limited to two cyclists. The event was won by Chris Hoy of Great Britain, the nation's first victory in the men's sprint and first medal in the event since 1948. He faced his teammate Jason Kenny in the final, the first time since 1984 that one nation had taken the top two spots. Mickaël Bourgain of France earned bronze. Germany's four-Games podium streak ended.
The women's sprint at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 19 at the Laoshan Velodrome.
Māris Štrombergs is a Latvian former professional BMX racer. In the 2008 Summer Olympics he became the first Olympic champion in BMX cycling. Earlier that year he won the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships. In 2012 he prolonged his Olympic title by winning the gold medal in the London Olympics.
Mohammad Rizal bin Tisin is a Malaysian professional track cyclist. He represented his nation Malaysia at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and later established the nation's historic milestone as the first Malaysian to claim a track cycling medal at the 2009 UCI World Championships and at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Akifumi Sakamoto is a Japanese BMX cyclist. He represented his nation Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and later claimed the silver medal in the inaugural men's BMX cycling at the 2010 Asian Games.
Henrik Baltzersen is a Danish amateur BMX cyclist. Having started his sporting career at the age of six and been admitted to the Danish national cycling team since 1999, Baltzersen has mounted top-eight finishes in BMX racing at the European Championships, and later represented his nation Denmark at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Scott Erwood is a Canadian professional BMX cyclist. Having started BMX racing since the age of twelve, Erwood has claimed two Canadian national tournament titles each in both junior and elite categories, and has mounted a top-eight finish at the 2007 UCI World Championships in his home turf Victoria, British Columbia. While riding for numerous seasons on the Crupi World Factory Team, Erwood also represented his nation Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics, following a race-off with his formidable rival Jim Brown from an Olympic selection camp in Chula Vista, California that nearly missed his lifetime opportunity to earn the ticket.
Cristian Daniel Becerine is an Argentine professional BMX cyclist. He is a 2003 American Bicycle Association champion, a ten-time national BMX riding champion, a silver medalist at the 2004 UCI World Championships in Valkenswaard, Netherlands, and a semifinalist in men's BMX at the 2008 Summer Olympics, representing his nation Argentina. Currently residing in Costa Mesa, California, United States, Becerine also raced for the Free Agent BMX Cycling Team, along with his teammate and two-time defending Olympic champion Māris Štrombergs from Latvia, and the late Kyle Bennett. Becerine currently rides for Throdwn and coaches their development team.
Ramiro Martín Marino Carlomagno is an Argentine professional BMX racing cyclist. He represented his nation Argentina, as a 19-year-old junior, at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and later claimed the bronze medal in the men's elite category at the 2009 UCI BMX World Championships in Adelaide, Australia, finishing behind the American duo and Olympic medalists Mike Day and Donny Robinson.
Jonathan Fernando Suárez Freitez is a Venezuelan professional BMX racing cyclist. Dubbed by his sporting fans as El Mosquito, Suarez has been highly considered a solid, all-around BMX rider in Latin America, and more importantly, one of the world's top cruisers in the sport. He won two men's cruiser medals, including his gold, at the UCI BMX World Championships, and later represented his nation Venezuela at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Damien Godet is a French professional BMX cyclist. He won a bronze medal in men's cruiser at the 2006 UCI World Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, and later represented his nation France at the 2008 Summer Olympics. During his sporting career, Godet has trained professionally for Bicross Club de Dardilly in Dardilly under his personal coach Fabrice Vettoretti.
Augusto Castro Herrera is a retired Colombian professional BMX cyclist. He represented his nation Colombia at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and has claimed multiple Colombian national titles in the men's elite category and a prestigious gold medal in junior cruiser at the 2004 UCI BMX World Championships in Valkenswaard, Netherlands. Before announcing his retirement in August 2013, Castro also raced and trained professionally for Psykopath Industries BMX Team.
Michal Prokop is a Czech professional BMX and Mountain Bike Four-cross rider. Started his sporting career at the age of five, Prokop has claimed two World Cup circuit gold medals, and three World Championship jerseys in the men's elite category, emerging him as one of the most successful fourcross riders in the sport's brief history.
Anikó Hódi is a Hungarian amateur BMX cyclist. She represented her nation Hungary, as a 22-year-old elite rider, at the 2008 Summer Olympics and has been training throughout most of her BMX cycling career for Honvéd Bercsényi SE.
María Gabriela Díaz is an Argentine professional BMX cyclist. Emerging as the world's most decorated female BMX rider in history, Diaz has claimed multiple Argentine national titles, six Pan American championship titles, and five medals in women's elite category at the UCI World Championships. She also won two medals, including a prestigious gold, in the same category at the Pan American Games, and later represented her nation Argentina at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
María Belén Dutto is an Argentine amateur BMX cyclist. Being profoundly deaf since birth with a 98% hearing loss, Dutto represented her nation Argentina at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and also managed to surmount her physical handicap by taking home the gold medal at the 2009 BMX Latin American Championships in São Paulo, Brazil.
Jana Horáková is a Czech professional BMX cyclist. Having started BMX racing at age fifteen, Horakova has claimed numerous Czech national titles, eight European championship titles, and more importantly, two bronze medals in the women's elite category at the UCI World Championships. She also represented her nation Czech Republic at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and has been racing professionally for most of her sporting career on the Suzuki-RB Team, before signing an exclusive, three-year sponsorship contract with Duratec in 2010.
Tanya Bailey is an Australian amateur BMX cyclist. Bailey has been a part of the national BMX cycling team for more than 10 years but granted her first and only opportunity to represent her nation, Australia, at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she became a semifinalist in the women's elite category. In that same year, Bailey has also achieved ample success in the sport, finishing second at the Australian national championships and the Supercross World Cup, held in Adelaide, South Australia. Throughout her sporting career, Bailey has been training with her personal and assistant national coach Wade Bootes for the Wanneroo BMX Club in Gold Coast, Queensland.
