When Melinda McLeod made the jump from the junior to senior BMX ranks earlier this year she sent a clear message to her teammates and competitors – watch out!

The 18-year-old rider from Mackay in North Queensland had originally been targeting the 2016 Rio Olympics but her results straight out of junior ranks surprised everyone including herself and now London 2012 is firmly on the radar and a medal is also in her sights.

“Elite level racing is so much more intense than racing at a junior level,” McLeod said. “It was a big step up and it certainly hasn’t been easy but I have had some amazing support.”

McLeod nailed the 2011 Junior BMX season, taking out the World Champion title in both the main event and the time trial at this year’s Championships in Denmark. It was no easy ride either. Fifteen minutes before her first qualifying time trial, McLeod was warming up when she was clipped by a passing moped and sent flying over the handlebars without any protective gear on.

The young athlete showed skill and determination beyond her years to recover from the crash and take to the track patched up by her coaches.

“I had a minor freak out,” McLeod said. “It was a full blown team operation to get me up to the start gate on time!”

Buoyed by World Championships success, McLeod stepped straight up into the senior ranks at the London Test Event, a year out from the Olympic Games. In her first senior event, the teenager made the final, finishing sixth. Fellow Aussie Lauren Reynolds took home bronze.

“After my world championship gold medals this year and my step up into elite class with a fourth and sixth place at the USA and London Supercross events, I really started to believe that London [Olympics] would be a realistic goal.

“There is still a long way to go but with the help of my support team I am now working harder than ever to ensure I am on the team for the London Games,” McLeod said.

Training for McLeod involves an intense schedule of gym sessions, road sprints, plyometric jumping sessions and lots of skill and speed based work on the track.

The road to London over the coming months will see McLeod compete at three Supercross World Cups and her first senior World Championship campaign in Birmingham, England.

As a nation, Australia hopes to qualify the maximum of three men and two women to compete in BMX at the London Games. Given the nation’s strong world rankings at the end of 2011 – the women are ranked number one and the men are ranked number two in the world – this seems likely. When the quotas are locked in, the difficult task of picking just two women to fill the coveted Olympic spots will begin.

World class riders Caroline Buchanan and Lauren Reynolds are champing at the bit to win a medal in London and with both young riders in the top 10 overall world rankings, they won’t be easy to beat.

That said McLeod shows buckets of promise, ranking just outside the top 10 with little senior experience. The next few months in the lead up to Olympic selections will be a showdown to remember between these young powerful women.

BMX will take place inside the Olympic Park complex in London and is set to be a crowd favourite for spectators.

“The London Olympic track is awesome!” McLeod said. “If I had endless money and manpower to build a track in my backyard, I would make it just like the London track. I truly believe that everyone watching at home will definitely enjoy the racing – the track even includes a tunnel in which the women ride into while the men jump over the top – you won’t be disappointed!”

BMX was first included on the Olympic program in Beijing 2008 to entice a younger fan-base back to the Olympics. Australia was unlucky to miss out on a medal but with the ranks as well stocked as they are now – a podium finish or two is well in reach.

Alice Wheeler
AOC