24th May, 2008

 

BMX National Champion out of Olympic contention

 

A bad landing in practice has eliminated 19 year old Queenslander, Melissa Mankowski, from her first chance of 

making the first ever BMX Olympic team at this year's Beijing Olympics. The newly crowned National Champion 

hurt her left knee at training on Thursday just one week away from competing in the final Olympic selection 

event, the World Championships in Taiyuan, China.

 

According to Mankowski’s coach, Sean Dwight, it was not a fall but just an unfortunate incident. “She went 

over a jump and for some reason she unclipped and her foot came off the pedal. Her foot 

hit the ground and took the weight of the landing,” explained Dwight.

 

As soon as she landed she was screaming. It only took a minute to figure out it was her knee.”

 

It was her training partner, Nicole Callisto who knew the familiar signs after suffering two knee injuries 

herself over the past few years. Mankowski will undergo surgery on Monday to discover the extent of the damage.

 

With Mankowski's elimination, Australia ’s chance of taking the maximum number of riders, two women to the 

Beijing Olympics will now be on the shoulders of Callisto and Tanya Bailey both originally from Western Australia.

 

According to Australia's Assistant BMX Coach, Wade Bootes it's all down this World Championships." We're really 

struggling now with one rider down for gaining those country points. It is unbelievable that even after 

the two year selection period it is down to the final selection race with four countries 

fighting for the third and fourth women’s ranking positions."

 

When asked how hopeful Australia could be Bootes pointed out that both Callisto and Bailey 

had made two finals at international level before.

 

Bailey and Callisto placed fourth and eight at the last month’s World Cup Supercross in Adelaide. At the 

Beijing test event last August Callisto claimed seventh and Bailey eighth.

 

With France looking confirmed of the top country ranking with a current lead of 77 points it is now a close points 

scramble between rival countries, Australia, Argentina,  New Zealand and the United States of America.

 

Australia’s elite men’s second ranking behind the United States of America and are 24 points clear of the 

Netherlands. Australia looks confident of remaining in the top five rankings for the men and as such should 

gain the maximum number of three riders. In the top spots are current National Champion, Jared Graves (Toowoomba) 

along with Luke Madill (Penrith), Kamakazi (Brisbane) and Khalen Young ( Perth ).

 

Riders depart on Monday for the flight to China where the World Championships 

get underway on Thursday 29^th May.

 

 

 

 

Sharon Payne
Media Manager
BMX Australia
Mob +61 (0) 412 773500
sharon@bikemedia.com.au