New competition key to discovering next generation of BMX stars, says Declan Brooks

Olympic bronze medallist Declan Brooks believes British Cycling’s new BMX Freestyle National Series can fast-track the nation’s next generation of talent in the sport when it launches next month.

The six-leg competition has been designed to capitalise on the success that came when Brooks and Charlotte Worthington flipped, twisted and spun their way to bronze and gold respectively when BMX freestyle made its Olympic debut in Tokyo last summer.

Taking place between April and October, the new series will bring together riders from elite, amateur and youth categories from the ages of four to 14, starting with round one at the Asylum Skatepark in Sutton-in-Ashfield on April 9.

At the end of the year, national series winners and national champions will be crowned at Adrenalin Alley in Corby, home to Great Britain’s freestyle squad, on the weekend of October 22-23.

“When I was a kid we didn’t have any series like this, so for me I’m just trying to jump on it and push it as much as possible,” Brooks told the PA news agency. “Kids need to have a pathway to see where they can eventually get to. In the UK we’ve not had one.

“When I was younger I tried to compete as much as possible because that’s the way to get better and to get more competition ready. It’s good that we have that now. They’ll also be able to see elite-level riders riding in the same place as them on the same days and that’s what’s always cool in BMX.”

The series is part of a rapid expansion of Britain’s BMX programme. More than £1million has been invested in facilities across five sites, three of which will host legs of the new competition, with British Cycling also recruiting a talent development coach.

At 25, Brooks has plenty more competitive riding in him yet,