Māris Štrombergs facts for kids
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Štrombergs (left) during the 2012 Olympic Games
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Štrombis (Shtrombis), The "Machine" |
| Born | 10 March 1987 Valmiera, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb; 14 st 2 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Tālava, Latvian Olympic Team, Free Agent Bicycles World Team & Rockst★r |
| Discipline | Bicycle motocross (BMX racing) |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | BMX |
Māris Štrombergs (born March 10, 1987) is a famous former Latvian professional BMX racer. He is known for being the first ever Olympic champion in BMX cycling. He won his first Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Before his Olympic win, he also became a world champion at the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships. Four years later, he won another gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This made him a two-time Olympic champion in BMX.
Štrombergs was born in Valmiera, Latvia. His first coach was Raimonds Ciesnieks. He later worked for a long time with Ivo Lakučs. Māris finished the 2008 Olympic BMX race in about 36 seconds. In the 2012 Olympics, he completed the course in 37.576 seconds. When he returned from the 2012 Olympics, many fans in his hometown of Valmiera welcomed him.
Māris Štrombergs announced that he was retiring from BMX racing on November 13, 2018.
Contents
What is BMX Racing?
BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross. It is a type of bicycle racing on special dirt tracks. These tracks have jumps, bumps, and turns. Riders compete to be the fastest to finish the course. BMX racing is an exciting and fast-paced sport.
Māris Štrombergs' Big Wins
Māris Štrombergs achieved many important titles during his career. He was a top rider in both junior and professional races.
Junior and Amateur Wins
When he was younger, Māris showed great talent.
- In 1996, he became a World Champion in the nine-year-old boys' group.
- In 2001, he won the European Youth Challenge.
- In 2005, he became the European Junior Champion.
Professional and Elite Wins
As a professional, Māris continued to win big races.
- In 2008, he won the Gold Medal at the UCI BMX World Championships.
- In 2010, he won another Gold Medal at the UCI BMX World Championships.
- In 2011, he earned a Silver Medal at the UCI BMX World Championships.
- He also won the National Bicycle League (NBL) Elite Men's title in 2009 and 2010.
- In 2014, he was the American Bicycle Association (ABA) Pro National #1.
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External Links
- Official web page: http://www.marisstrombergs.com/
- Video of 2008 World Championships Final
See also
In Spanish: Māris Štrombergs para niños
