Kieran Reilly revealed that he will unwrap never-before-seen tricks in a bid to strike Olympic gold. The Team GB BMX freestyler is one of the favourites for gold in the park event.
Having watched team-mate Charlotte Worthington win Tokyo gold with the first-ever 360 backflip performed by a woman in competition, Reilly is planning to make history.
“I think everyone has been working really, really hard behind the scenes,” said Reilly.
READ MORE: Gateshead's BMX boy wonder going for historic Olympic gold at Paris 2024 games
READ MORE: Gateshead BMX Olympian gears up for Paris 2024 in hope of winning gold
“Everyone has tricks they’re going to debt at the Games and I think for me personally, I know I can put in the best performance of my career if I stick to the plan. There’s definitely big things that are going to go down on the course.”
Reilly became the first man to land a ‘triple flair’ trick in a stunt for sponsors Red Bull back in 2022.
“It was by far the hardest journey I’ve ever been on, mentally and physically,” said Reilly.
"Usually when we try a trick in the skatepark you can try it 20 times and keep going. The triple flair was one of those where I could’ve been in the park for eight hours and tried it three times and that was it. I couldn’t get off the start ramp, there was just this overwhelming fear.
“It wasn’t until 8pm on the last day of shooting that I managed to get it done and it was this overwhelming sense of relief, the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve ever had and the only time I’ve ever cried happy tears.”
Among Reilly’s closest rivals for gold will be reigning Olympic champion and five-time X Games winner Logan Martin of Australia and Anthony Jeanjean who will enjoy the backing of a home French crowd.
The north-east native has plenty of weapons in his arsenal to beat the pair but also has a lucky haircut for good measure.
“I went to a different barber, and he gave me a taper with no fade, he pretty much gave me a mullet by accident,” said Reilly.
“I got some stick from the team for the whole week but then I won the Euros, so I thought I would keep it out of spite. The next big event was the Worlds and I won with the mullet. I was thinking this is my good luck charm now, so I said I’m keeping it through until Paris.”
Born in Gateshead, Reilly remembers being given a BMX bike for Christmas when he was eight years old. The idea of BMX being part of the Olympics was a distant dream for the kid who ripped his school trousers trying tricks.
The competitive bug bit Reilly aged 11 and he returned to the sport full-time after leaving school and becoming bored by a carpentry apprenticeship.
National Lottery funding arrived in 1997 and British cyclists have won more than 80 Olympic and Paralympic gold medals since then, with Reilly determined to add to that number.
“I’m pretty set on gold,” he said.
“It’s once every four years, and as unfortunate as it is I think the Olympics is, it’s an event where you don’t often remember someone who got fourth place.”
With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, including vital funding into elite and grassroots sport, National Lottery players support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud, as well as providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport. To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
