Colorado Springs, Colo. – USA Cycling announced today the six athletes who will represent the U.S. at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru for BMX Freestyle and BMX Racing. Among the athletes is current BMX Freestyle World Champion Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach, Va.) and 2017 BMX Freestyle World Champion Hannah Roberts (Buchanan, Mich.).
“Both Justin and Hannah have had incredible seasons so far this year including winning last week’s World Cup in Montpelier and we want to ensure our athletes are as prepared as possible for the Olympics in Tokyo,” said Scott Schnitzspahn, Vice President of Elite Athletics for USA Cycling, “With BMX Freestyle making its debut in the Games, we are excited to provide them with the opportunity to gain experience competing in a multi-sport event prior to the Olympics.”
The BMX Racing athletes who will be competing include Junior National Champion, Emily Hayes (Colorado Springs, Colo.) as well as up and coming riders Cameron Wood (Avondale, Ariz.), Kamren Larsen (Bakersfield, Calif.), and Sophia Foresta (South Jordan, Utah).
“We are looking forward to seeing what these athletes can do,” said Jaime Staff, BMX High Performance Director for USA Cycling, “Kamren has really come into his own this season and we think that this is a great opportunity for these riders to compete at a high caliber event.”
2019 Pan American Games Roster:
BMX Freestyle
Hannah Roberts (Buchanan, Mich.)
Justin Dowell (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Coach: Ryan Nyquist
BMX Racing
Cameron Wood (Avondale, Ariz.)
Kamren Larsen (Bakersfield, Calif.)
Emily Hayes (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Sophia Foresta (South Jordan, Utah)
Coach: Arielle Martin
*All Pan American Games roster nominations are pending final approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The Pan American Games, a multi-sport event governed by Panam Sports, are held one year prior to the Olympics. The 2019 Pan American Games will take place in Lima, Peru from July 26 through August 1. Riders competing in the Pan American Games are selected by their respective national governing bodies and provide a valuable opportunity for athletes to gain experience competing in a multisport event. For more information on the Pan American Games go here.
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.