BMX Star Visits WHS:

Rico is currently ranked number 6 in the world for BMX - and is waiting to hear if he has been selected for the Paris Olympics team this year.

Last Friday Rico spoke to our children about his journey and working hard towards his goal.

Career Highlights for Rico:

Rico Bearman, the best under-23 world series BMX rider, blitzed the final for his sixth victory from nine finals this year, finishing a whopping 332 points ahead of runner-up Mateo Colsenet (FRA) and 589 ahead of third-placed Thomas Maturano (ARG).

He is excited about preparing for his likely debut in the elite ranks when Rotorua hosts the first doubleheader UCI BMX Racing World Cup in February, which is an important Olympic qualifying event and, therefore, expected to attract most of the leading nations and riders.

Bearman is one of 18 Kiwi riders competing in the two-day UCI BMX World Cup event at the Te Papa o Te Kauri facility at Whakarewarewa, the first ever held on New Zealand soil.

Crucial qualifying points for the Paris Olympics will be at stake, so a star-studded field has been drawn to this corner of the world for the opening round of the competition.

Among the luminaries taking to the track in the North Island city are Olympic champion Niek Kimmann of the Netherlands, decorated French duo Joris Daudet and Romain Mahieu, and double Olympic bronze medallist Carlos Ramirez Yepes of Colombia.

Our children were wowed by Rico as he shared his story, showed some video footage of his races and rode his BMX bike around our courts. There was a long line for his autograph, and should he make it to Paris and gain an Olympic Medal, those signatures could be quite valuable.