USA Cycling announced today that famed Freestyle BMX rider, Ryan Nyquist will be joining the organization as the BMX Freestyle Head Coach. Nyquist will play a key role in the program, organizing and accompanying riders to camps as well as domestic and international competitions. He will also work with internal staff to create selection procedures and ensure that athletes are getting the support they need on and off the bike.
“Ryan is in a unique position to continue riding at a high level while coaching,” said Vice President of Elite Athletics for USA Cycling, Scott Schnitzspahn, “We are excited to have him on staff serving as a coach and mentor and for him to be able to pass along over two decades of knowledge and experience to our Elite BMX Freestyle Athletes.”
Nyquist, a respected member of the freestyle BMX community, member of the UCI BMX Freestyle Commission, and the UCI Men’s BMX Freestyle BMX Athlete Representative, is a 16-time X Games medalist, three-time World Champion, an ESPY Award Winner, and has won nearly every major BMX Freestyle title at least once since turning pro in 1996.
“I’m not retiring from BMX Freestyle,” said Nyquist, “I still have many goals for riding, and I’m not ready to hang up my helmet just yet, but when the opportunity to be the Head Coach presented itself, I couldn’t help but think that my history and success with competing could help fast track the current and next generation of athletes to achieve their goals and dreams. I want to teach them how to be fierce competitors and how to push the limits of what’s possible in our sport, all while being role models and true professionals. That is something I’m very passionate about, and I feel that I am uniquely qualified to pass those lessons and skills along.”
Nyquist will continue to work alongside the BMX National team athletes as they head into the inaugural USA Cycling BMX Freestyle National Championships and Pan-American Championships which will be held back-to-back in Cary, N.C. this October as they build up to the final World Cup and the 2019 World Championships in Chengdu, China.
Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.
##
For more information, please contact Kelly Fox at apalermo@usacycling.org.
