British Cycling has today announced the 14 riders who will compete across the elite, under-23 and junior categories in the UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Nantes, France, on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July.
After adding the European title to her growing collection in Dessel, Belgium, this weekend, Beth Shriever, who now holds the Olympic, world, European and national crowns will defend her world title over the two days of competition.
After securing his own elite European title in Dessel, Kye Whyte heads to Nantes in excellent form, having also taken recent victories at the National BMX Championships on his home track in Peckham, and a bronze medal at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Glasgow.
Also included in the elite men’s team are Eddie Moore, who came away with an excellent bronze medal at last weekend’s UEC BMX Racing European Championships behind Whyte, along with Ross Cullen, Paddy Sharrock and Quillan Isidore.
The under-23 men’s team will consist of Matthew Hutt, Matthew Gilston and Callum Russell, while in the junior categories Jay Bovill and Alexander Talbott will represent the men, and Emily Hutt, Ava Brown and Morgan Haslam will compete for the women’s crown.
Speaking ahead of the event, Shriever said:
“Taking the world title so soon after winning gold at the Olympic Games was just incredible and it’s been an honour to ride in the rainbow stripes throughout this season. Coming off the back of taking the European title last weekend, I’m excited to head to the world championships and look to defend my title, and above all enjoy the process!
Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Director, Stephen Park CBE, said:
“Since their stand-out performances at the Tokyo Olympic Games, our BMX riders have continued to perform at the very highest level and coming away from the UEC BMX Racing European Championships with not one, but two elite titles is an incredible achievement.
“It will be an incredibly exciting weekend and I can't wait to watch Beth attempt to defend her world title, however we’ve got some fantastic talent across the categories, so I’m sure we’re set for a thrilling weekend of racing.
“Within the programme itself, following the recent appointment of Kyle Evans we now have a fully integrated performance pathway, which provides riders the opportunity to ride for the Great Britain Cycling Team through our junior and senior academies and all the way to elite podium level. Being able to nurture talent in this way will only strengthen our chances of delivering more success as we work towards Paris 2024 and beyond.”
Marcus Bloomfield, BMX SX Lead Coach, said:
“As a team, we’ve had a busy year of racing so far as we begin our prep for Paris 2024, and I’m impressed with how well the team has handled such a packed calendar. From this we’ve seen some great performances and are looking forward to taking a quality team of elite, under-23 and junior riders to the world championships, which is always an incredibly special experience for them, and seeing what they can deliver.”
Great Britain Cycling Team squad for the UCI BMX Racing World Championships, Nantes:
Elite Men
Kye Whyte
Ross Cullen
Paddy Sharrock
Quillan Isidore
Eddie Moore
Elite Women
Bethany Shriever
U23 Men
Matthew Gilston
Callum Russell
Matthew Hutt
Junior Men
Jay Bovill
Alexander Talbott
Junior Women
Emily Hutt
Ava Brown
Morgan Haslam