BMX Training Camp Held At USA BMX Headquarters In Tulsa

The newly opened USA BMX headquarters is hosting its first USA Cycling performance training camp this weekend. Some of those athletes said there's no other facility like it in the country. Two athletes are using the new BMX headquarters to train for the Olympics.

Riders are already testing out the dirt at the USA BMX headquarters in Tulsa -- exactly two months after its opening day.

Director of BMX at USA Cycling Jamie Staff wasted no time gearing up and assembling athletes for an elite training camp this weekend. “It’s just really cool to get on the new facility, the riders love the new track. So everything’s really positive right now," he said. “We decided to get a camp out here as soon as it was basically ready to go so we got a bunch of the young and up and coming elite, national, world level athletes.”

It's one of the earliest examples what kind of use the new BMX building will see and what kind of talent it brings.

Payton Ridenour with BMX Racing hopes training here will help her return to the Olympics. “Training for the Olympics right now but I had the opportunity to compete in Tokyo last year," she said. “I think the whole facility is awesome. I really like the track, especially, it has one of the supercross hills which are the big hills that we race down, and I don’t have one of those near me.”

It doesn't just benefit the pros like Ridenour. She said it'll help the next generation of BMX riders. “It’s also nice that other people can come here and train with us as well and we can all help each other be better," Ridenour said.

April 15 was the first day of training. The 16 riders will be out at the USA BMX headquarters through Sunday, April 17.