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Hog's Breath Café Probikx National BMX Series - NE
Liverpool, NSW, Australia, February 10, 2006
Khalen keen on Olympic BMX
Khalen Young added his name to the selector's list for the 2008 Beijing Olympics by taking victory at round five of the Hog's Breath Café Probikx National BMX Series in Liverpool, Sydney.
It's the first victory for the 22 year-old, commonly known as the wild child of Australian BMX, in three years. Young had 'retired' from the sport in 2004, but since the addition of BMX as an Olympic sport he has turned his life around to focus on the Olympic dream.
"We all set goals at the beginning of this year," said Young, who took the win in his stride. "I knew it was just a matter of time and I'd get to this stage."
Young was challenged in the final by Penrith's Luke Madill, who made a late charge but missed out on victory by half a wheel length. Madill's second place was enough to snatch the ProBikx National BMX Series lead from Wade Bootes, who finished the round in seventh place, while Young now holding third place in the standings.
Australian mountain bike sensation Jared Graves drew the eyebrows of onlookers in Sydney. The Toowoomba rider, who finished second in last year's Four-cross World Cup standings, finished a credible fourth.
BMX High Performance Coach Sean Dwight was impressed with the standard of racing. "This track certainly showed me which riders have done the work," observed Dwight. "It's a fast track with big jumps and it takes a lot more work. Khalen's done the work, he is totally focused."
Western Australian rider Tanya Bailey dominated the Elite Women's field, taking victory from Queenslander Melissa Mankowski. Fellow WA rider Nicole Callisto placed third.
Bailey holds onto the lead in the Hog's Breath Café Probikx National BMX Series, with Mankowski and Callisto in second and third respectively.
Results
Elite Men 1 Khalen Young (NSW) 2 Luke Madill (NSW) 3 Brian Kirkham (SA) 4 Jared Graves (Qld) 5 Billy Jolliffe (NSW) 6 Sifiso Nhlapo (RSA) 7 Wade Bootes (Qld) 8 Scott Taylor (WA) Elite Women 1 Tanya Bailey (WA) 2 Melissa Mankowski (Qld) 3 Nicole Callisto (WA) 4 Caroline Buchanan (ACT) 6 Ziggy Callan (Vic) 7 Grace Ireland (NSW) 8 Caitlyn Ward (Qld) Junior Men 1 Matthew Willoughby (SA) 2 Joshua Webb (NSW) 3 Michael Vockenson (Qld) 4 Nicholas Cameron (NSW) 5 Dirk Winter (Qld) 6 Tye Booker (NSW) 7 Ashley Pemberton (Qld) 8 Jasper Gaffney (Qld) 16 Boys 1 Michael Chasteauneuf (Vic) 2 Joshua Callan (Vic) 3 Sam Willoughby (SA) 4 Anthony Dean (SA) 5 Justin Braybon (SA) 6 Christopher Courtenay (Qld) 7 Kurt Nicholls (Qld) 8 Aidan Nemet (ACT) 16 Girls 1 Lauren Reynolds (WA) 2 Cherie Simpson (WA) 3 Courtney Taylor (NSW) 4 Erin Butler (ACT) 15 Boys 1 Adam Sanderson (NSW) 2 Brendan Abel (Qld) 3 Benjamin Clarke (NSW) 4 Ryan Henderson (ACT) 5 Chris Jennings (NSW) 6 Kevin Watson (Qld) 7 Benjamin Hidalgo (NSW) DNF Matthew Wallace (NSW) 15 Girls 1 Lacey Oliver (Qld) 2 Talia Smith (SA) 3 Ashleigh Cragg (ACT) 4 Hannah Parkinson (NSW) 5 Olivia Clark (Vic) 6 Jade Parker (Vic) 7 Jacinta Rice (NSW) 14 Boys 1 Graeme Mudd (NSW) 2 Thomas Rowe (SA) 3 Adam Trustum (NSW) 4 Jacob Thomson (NSW) 5 Corey Bagnall (NSW) 6 Brandon Mcqueen (Qld) 7 Daniel Notely-Cole (Qld) 8 Jack Sutton (NSW)
