BMX has a long history in Southern California and Chula Vista is known worldwide as a hotbed for the sport with Olympians and elite athletes from around the world choosing to reside in the Chula Vista area. Since BMX’s introduction to the Olympic Games in 2008, there are now two full-sized BMX Supercross, an amateur level BMX track and two additional sets of skill-specific BMX trails and pump tracks at the CVEATC.
The BMX Supercross track that sits adjacent to the field hockey pitch was originally modeled after the Beijing 2008 Olympic track and was the primary training ground for 2008 Olympic Silver medalist Mike Day and 2008 Olympic Bronze medalists Donny Robinson and Jill Kintner. The Beijing replica track was modified in 2013 to accommodate junior elite athletes who are ready to tackle the eight-meter tall start ramp, but need a little more experience on a Supercross track.
Prior to the London 2012 Olympic Games, a second full-sized BMX Supercross track was built in the heart of the Athlete Village, next to the dining hall and residence halls. Sitting on a larger plot of land, this BMX track is more advanced and also more spectator-friendly. The London track was remodeled in 2016 to have elements similar to the Rio 2016 Olympic track. Connor Fields and Alise Post both used this venue as their primary Supercross training facility as they went on to win their 2016 Olympic Gold and Silver medals. Both the Beijing and the London/Rio BMX tracks have been home to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials events and also to international competitions like the International Cycling Union’s BMX Supercross World Cup series.
The amateur track next to the Visitor Center is open to the public and used by athletes of all ages for training and competition with evening and weekend hours for practice and coach-led clinics as well as private rental sessions. The amateur track is the site of USA BMX national events and hosts weekly races. The development program is operated by Chula Vista BMX and more information can be found at ChulaVistaBMX.com.
