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 on March 10, 1987, is a famous BMX racer from Latvia. He used to race professionally. He made history at the 2008 Summer Olympics by becoming the very first Olympic champion in BMX cycling. That same year, he also won the UCI BMX World Championships. Four years later, at the London Olympics, he won another gold medal, keeping his Olympic title.
Štrombergs was born in Valmiera, a city in Latvia. His first coach was Raimonds Ciesnieks. He worked longest with another coach, Ivo Lakučs. Māris finished the Olympic BMX race in 2008 in about 36 seconds. In the 2012 Olympics, he completed the course in 37.576 seconds. When he came home from the 2012 Olympics, thousands of fans cheered for him in Valmiera.
On November 13, 2018, Māris Štrombergs announced that he was retiring from racing.
Māris Štrombergs: A BMX Champion
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Māris Štrombergs is known for his amazing skills in BMX racing. BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross. It's a type of cycling race where riders compete on special dirt tracks. These tracks have jumps, bumps, and turns. Riders need to be very fast and skilled to win.
Early Career and First Wins
Māris started racing BMX at a young age. He quickly showed great talent. In 1996, when he was just nine years old, he became a World Champion in his age group. This was a big achievement for such a young rider.
He continued to win as he grew older. In 2001, he became the European youth challenge champion. By 2005, he was the European Junior Champion. These early wins showed that he was going to be a top rider.
Becoming an Olympic Legend
Māris Štrombergs made history at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. BMX racing was included in the Olympic Games for the first time. Māris won the gold medal, becoming the first-ever Olympic champion in BMX. This was a huge moment for him and for Latvia.
He didn't stop there. In 2012, he went to the London Olympics. He raced incredibly well again. He won another gold medal, defending his title. This made him the only BMX rider to win two Olympic gold medals.
World and European Championships
Besides his Olympic success, Māris also won many other important races. He won the UCI BMX World Championships twice, in 2008 and 2010. He also earned a silver medal at the World Championships in 2011.
He was also very successful in European competitions. He won the BMX European Championships three times: in 2008, 2013, and 2014. He also earned a bronze medal in 2007. These wins show how consistently good he was throughout his career.
Life After Racing
After a long and successful career, Māris Štrombergs retired from professional racing in 2018. He is remembered as one of the greatest BMX riders of all time. His achievements have inspired many young people to try BMX cycling.
See also
In Spanish: Māris Štrombergs para niños
