BMX Racing at the Olympics - When and where to watch ℹ️
Just a few days to go until we see our boys Izaac Kennedy and Rico Bearman on the Olympic gate in Paris, and we are so pumped that the 3.30am wake up time to watch doesn’t even throw us off! Here’s the low down on the times, where to watch and the format. Hint, it’s a little different to regular racing that you and I do.
First off, these times and dates stated are based on our local time zone here in Brisbane. So you Kiwis and Aussies not on Australian Eastern Standard Time, we’ll let you make the calculations.
Having said that, if you are looking at the Olympic schedule, BMX racing is on Thursday and Friday the 1st and 2nd of August, BUT the racing is on so late at night that it ends up being Friday and Saturday mornings starting at 4am and running to 6am.
BMX Racing Times (AEST)
Friday 2nd August: 4am to 6am (Quarters and LCQ)
Saturday 3rd August: 4am to 6am (Semis and Finals)
Format
“The competition begins with the quarterfinals, in which three heats of eight riders compete in a three-run series. At the end of three runs, the 12 cyclists with the lowest point totals advance directly to the semifinals, and the riders ranked 13-20 move to a last-chance qualifier. In the last-chance qualifier, those eight riders race one time, and the top-four finishers advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, there are two heats of eight riders competing in a three-run series. At the end of three runs, the eight cyclists with the lowest point totals advance to the final.
In both the quarterfinals and the semifinals, riders are reseeded for the next heat according to time. If two or more riders are equal in points at the end of three runs, the times will be used to break the tie.
For the final, there is only one single run. The first rider to cross the finish line first wins the gold medal.”
Where to Watch?
In Australia the Nine network is hosting the Olympics, with Stan dedicating channels for every event according to their website. So between these two, we will be able to watch every second of the BMX racing action.
There you go, basically on the first day there are 3 motos, then a single LCQ, then the next day 3x semi finals and then the ONE final to decide the medals.
So whether you’re an Aussie, a Kiwi, a Chase or a Speedco rider, there’s a good chance you’ll be backing a winner!
Format
“The competition begins with the quarterfinals, in which three heats of eight riders compete in a three-run series. At the end of three runs, the 12 cyclists with the lowest point totals advance directly to the semifinals, and the riders ranked 13-20 move to a last-chance qualifier. In the last-chance qualifier, those eight riders race one time, and the top-four finishers advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, there are two heats of eight riders competing in a three-run series. At the end of three runs, the eight cyclists with the lowest point totals advance to the final.
In both the quarterfinals and the semifinals, riders are reseeded for the next heat according to time. If two or more riders are equal in points at the end of three runs, the times will be used to break the tie.
For the final, there is only one single run. The first rider to cross the finish line first wins the gold medal.”
Where to Watch?
In Australia the Nine network is hosting the Olympics, with Stan dedicating channels for every event according to their website. So between these two, we will be able to watch every second of the BMX racing action.
There you go, basically on the first day there are 3 motos, then a single LCQ, then the next day 3x semi finals and then the ONE final to decide the medals.
So whether you’re an Aussie, a Kiwi, a Chase or a Speedco rider, there’s a good chance you’ll be backing a winner!
