By Liz Clarke
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 15, 2008
CHULA VISTA, Calif., June 14 -- Mike Day wasn't the favorite to win the sole Olympic berth at stake Saturday when the country's top BMX riders faced off in the sport's first U.S. Olympic team trials.
His chief rival, Donny Robinson, won last summer's test event on the hair-raising BMX course in Beijing, where the sport of bicycle motocross (or BMX) will make its Olympic debut in August. Robinson also had vaulted ahead of him in the world rankings.
So for the past six months, Day, 23, did everything possible to give himself an edge in the all-or-nothing Olympic trials.
In January, he moved into the dorms here at the Olympic Training Center so he could ride every day on a replica of the Beijing course constructed by Olympic organizers. He hired a personal coach to help him visualize races and devise a strategy for every competitive scenario. He skipped the BMX World Championships in China two weeks ago, fearing it would sap too much energy on the eve of the trials. And Friday, he called every friend and relative logged in his cellphone and asked them to come cheer him on.
With a rooting section that drowned out all others', Day locked up his Olympic spot Saturday in such a rout that the final stage of the competition -- the fifth of five races that comprised the trials -- was canceled. Day crushed all comers, winning the individual time trials and two of the three races that followed (known as motos). By that point, Day had built such a commanding lead -- 32 points to Robinson's 21 -- that organizers scrapped the final. There was no need. No rider could have overtaken him.
It was a stunning display of mastery of the course and the moment -- one that brought Day's father to tears and thrilled his friends, who wore bright yellow T-shirts emblazoned with "Mike Day Fan Club" and a picture of Day flashing a double thumbs-up.
"Is that cool, or what?" said Steve Day, 54. "I'm just totally jazzed!"
As for Day himself, he was in a daze, struggling to put words to his emotions.
"There's just so much pressure," he said of the format. "Any other time, you'd be excited with second place. But today, second place meant just about nothing. That's why I called everybody in my phone book. I charged my phone twice yesterday because the battery went dead."
Robinson was left gasping for breath and disappointed by his showing, particularly in the third and decisive moto, in which he finished fourth. He still could be added to the Olympic team. USA Cycling officials will name a third member July 1. Robinson, ranked No. 1 in the world, is considered the favorite.
International Olympic officials have added BMX to the 2008 Games in hope of attracting a younger audience. If Saturday's crowd is any gauge, it should do just that.
Every adult, it seemed, had two or three children in tow. Among them were 40-something dads who were part of the first wave of BMXers in the 1970s, when the sport was at the fringe of acceptable athletic endeavors. Now, their children race the tiny, reinforced bikes with knobby tires. And they greeted the prospective Olympians like heroes, squealing "Donny!" "Danny!" and "Mikey!" as the riders trudged up the steep stairs that led to the 30-foot high starting gate. Also in the crowd were Beijing-bound Olympians from other sports -- long jumpers and pole vaulters who, like Day, moved to the training complex months ago to fine-tune their fitness and skills before Opening Ceremonies Aug. 8.
All were treated to a thrilling show.
Day scorched the track in the time trials, completing his circuit over the steep jumps and around three hairpin turns in 36.60 seconds. That gave him first choice of his lane for the races that followed. He bucked convention and chose the outline lane, rather than shorter, insider lane, hoping to steer clear of congestion.
While eight riders were invited to the trials, the field was winnowed to seven Thursday after Bubba Harris, 22, broke his right ankle during training. Harris showed up Saturday anyway, determined to cheer his friends from atop his BMX bike, his right foot in a cast and his crutches hooked on his handle bars.
"Guys, get ready to rip it!" Harris screamed into the microphone, having been designated the honorary announcer.
Steven Cisar took a nasty spill in the first moto, hitting the dirt track so hard that fellow riders could hear the thud. Cisar lay motionless as Day edged Robinson for the victory. He was helped off the course by track workers. With no broken bones, he lined up for the second heat. He also had no memory of the crash.
Robinson seized the lead in the second moto and held off a furious charge by Day, winning by a two-bike margin.
But Day rode flawlessly in the third heat, which clinched his Olympic spot.
"I knew every inch of this course," Day said, "and I played out every scenario. These last six months have been a huge advantage."
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