05/30/2026
Not sure if anyone has seen the news this week where IOC President Kirsty Coventry explained why she does not support paying athletes at the Olympic Games. Crazy when you think about how much money the Olympics generates.
If you look up former British Olympic champion Greg Rutherford, he has spoken openly about how his bank account was overdrawn the day before he won Olympic gold. It really shows the reality for so many Olympic athletes outside the major mainstream sports.
And it’s not just BMX riders that struggle. If you dig into swimming, track and field, and many other Olympic sports, they all seem to face the same problems and debates, even though those sports are far bigger than BMX.
So what’s the answer for BMX?
Did anyone watch the Enhanced Games last Sunday? Whether you agree with it or not, the money, promotion, and people behind it offer a completely different perspective on what modern sport and entertainment could look like.
Then you look at UFC and boxing, the recent Nate Diaz and Ronda Rousey fights, and everything Jake Paul is doing both in and out of the ring. A huge part of the success is personality, storytelling, promotion, and building athletes into recognisable brands.
Could BMX Racing evolve more as a show and entertainment product alongside the traditional Olympic pathway?
Not instead of riders chasing Olympic teams, but alongside it, giving riders another opportunity to actually make a good living if they want to go that route.
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