Fifteen members of the Dunedin BMX Club will represent New Zealand at the 2026 BMX Racing World Championships taking place during July in Brisbane, Australia.
Dunedin BMX Club vice-president Greg Shaw said all the riders had qualified either through their results or by wild card.
The squad will compete in a range of categories, the youngest in the 9-year-old boys’ division and the eldest in the 50 and over cruiser class.
Mr Shaw said it was the first time the club had sent athletes to the global competition in several years and the first time it had so many eligible participants.
The championships were last held in the southern hemisphere during 2013, in Auckland, and are usually hosted in Europe or North America. The previous edition took place in Copenhagen.
Mr Shaw said this was a great opportunity for all the athletes to test themselves at the highest level.
The Elite World Championships will be held at the same venue on the first few days, meaning the local contingent will have the opportunity to watch the absolute best in the sport perform as they push for world titles and Olympic qualifying spots, Mr Shaw said.
Racing will take place on the international BMX track at the Sleeman Sports Complex.
‘‘Quite a few of the riders here have raced there in the last few years,’’ Mr Shaw said.
The ultimate prize for each competitor will be coming away with the world No 1 title in their category.
‘‘When they do the prizegiving, they get given a plate that is with World 1 on it,’’ Mr Shaw said.
The winners would then be able to display that plate number anywhere in the world.
BMX was very much a family pursuit for the club.
Siblings Ryan, Kate and Dylan Entwisle would be taking part in the competition, as well as father and son Derek and Mason Jelgersma.
There had been a lot of work occurring before the championships, with squad members travelling around the country racing at different fixtures.
Most of the group had travelled to Te Awamutu to compete in the 2026 BMX New Zealand National Championships which occurred in March.
‘‘Pretty much all these guys have been to Te Awamutu to race this year,’’ Mr Shaw said.
Dunedin BMX Club president Paula Hansen said the members had been working hard, extending their training into the colder months ahead of the tournament.
‘‘It is a massive opportunity, it is just a wee bit hard for us because this is our off season,’’ she said.
Usually the season would finish at the start of April when daylight saving ended.
‘‘We have just tried to do a Sunday because we run out of daylight and we don’t have lights and the track gets too soft.’’
‘‘With the North Island, they can go all year round, so these guys do really well to compete against people that ride all year round.’’
She highlighted the efforts of track manager Derek Jelgersma who laboured to ensure the surface was ready for racing.
‘‘He spends quite a few hours here,’’ Mrs Hansen said.
The organisation was the only local BMX New Zealand-affiliated club and there had been a lot of investment in the facility by volunteers over the last few years.
It welcomed new members to its Forrester Park location.
‘‘So if anyone’s interested, reach out to the club,’’ she said.
People can follow the club on Facebook.
