IN the last 12 months, Kieran Reilly has claimed British, European and World BMX Freestyle titles. Because he has been so busy, though, the 22-year-old Geordie has not had the opportunity to get the one thing he would really like. A new tattoo.
This summer, he has promised himself he will put that right. Make his Olympic debut in Paris, as looks pretty much certain given his medal-laden 2023, and he will mark his appearance at the Games with some new ink. Win a gold medal, and he will be block-booking a series of tattoo sessions on his return home.
“I love my tattoos, but I’ve not had a new one for over a year or so now,” said Reilly, whose painted arms, nose ring and flowing mullet mark him out as one of the new breed of adrenaline-sport Olympians, whose presence at the Games reflects a desire to attract a new, younger audience. “The second I get home from Paris, I’ve promised myself that I’ll get an Olympic rings tattoo. The next one is definitely going to be the rings. Then, maybe if I win gold, I’ll have to get a medal one that can go right around my neck. That would be the icing on the cake!”
Winning gold at his first Olympics is a realistic ambition for the Gateshead-born stunt rider, who has been riding bikes ever since his parents bought him his first BMX at the age of eight.
Reilly started out in YouTube stunt demonstrations, gaining worldwide acclaim when he became the first rider to complete a triple flair (three backflips and a 180-degree rotation before landing) as part of the Red Bull stunt team.
He was persuaded to move across to competitive sport after BMX was added to the Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020 and swept the board last year to establish himself as one of the favourites ahead of Paris.
With its jaw-dropping jumps and gravity-defying trickery, BMX freestyle promises to be one the breakthrough hits of this summer’s Olympics. As one of its leading practitioners, Reilly could well end up being one of the Games’ biggest stars.
“Last year was a stellar year,” said the North-Easterner. “I couldn’t really have asked for anything more. I didn’t expect to be going into the Games as a favourite. If I was going to be going at all, I was expecting to be going in as an underdog. To be going in as World champ is quite a mental feeling.
“It gives me so much confidence though because it shows that the work I’m putting in is the right thing. It shows what I’m capable of, and it's just switched my mindset from ‘I want to be an Olympian’ to ‘I want to win gold at the Olympics’. That’s great because whenever I come to train, whether it be at the park or in the gym, my mindset is, ‘What do I have to do here to make sure I get gold?’”
Reilly’s success at last year’s World Championships means the British cycling team is guaranteed one BMX Freestyle place at Paris, with performances at the two forthcoming qualifying events determining who gets to take up the spot. If British riders perform well at the qualifiers – the first, in Shanghai, starts on May 16, and the second, in Budapest, starts on June 20 – then Team GB could be able to send two competitors to the Olympics.
The events provide an early opportunity to lay down a pre-Games marker, and will also afford Reilly a chance to show off the tricks he has been working on over the winter and see what his rivals have been perfecting.
“If you look at Tokyo, then a lot of people actually debuted new tricks at the Games,” he said. “People might not be able to do that this time because the Olympic qualifiers almost matter more than Paris. If you don’t do well there, you don’t go to Paris.
“So, you’re no really going to be able to hide anything – you’re going to have to bring your best. A lot of people who have been working on new tricks over the winter, you’re probably going to get a first look at those in the qualifiers.
“They’re going to have to put them down in front of everyone, just in order to make sure they get to the Games. It’s definitely not going to be an event where anyone is holding back. You’re going to be able to weigh up everyone and see how everyone is riding.”
And as the World champion, all eyes will be trained on Reilly to see how he is shaping up.
“It used to be that if I was getting a top ten at a World Cup, I was really happy,” he said. “It’s changed now to where I want to be a podium contender at every event. I’m just holding myself to a different standard now.”
* Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024
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