The United States Olympic Committee and USA Cycling will host a teleconference Tuesday, June 10 at 10 a.m. MDT (12:00 p.m. EDT) with Olympic hopefuls Steven Cisar (Altadena, Calif./Chula Vista, Calif.), Bubba Harris (Goodyear, Ariz.), David Herman (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) and Donny Robinson (Napa, Calif.) to preview the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Cycling (BMX), June 14, at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

Cisar is possibly the best American BMX rider that nobody's heard of. Often times overshadowed by the depth of the talent pool in the United States, he has consistently posted solid results on the domestic circuit before a breakthrough performance at the international level resulted in a bronze medal at the Madrid World Cup in February of 2008.  With a fourth-place finish at the 2007 UCI BMX World Championships, it's only a matter of time until Cisar becomes a household name in the action sports community.  By finishing in the top-5 in the U.S. rankings, Cisar earned an automatic bid to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.  Recently, he finished fourth at the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships. 

Harris has been one of the most consistent, successful and resilient American BMX athletes over the last five years.  In 2003, Bubba lost his mother Anita to cervical cancer and dislocated his left ankle so severely that doctors considered amputating his foot in 2007.  Yet, Harris has continued to pursue his Olympic dream and credits his mother as a driving force of inspiration and support behind his successful racing career, recognizing her with commemorative stickers on his helmet.  Harris earned an invitation to the Olympic Team Trials based on various factors, including UCI BMX Supercross World Cup results, USA Cycling BMX Rankings, podium finishes and recent performance trends. 

One of the youngest Americans on the international BMX circuit at 20 years old, Herman could be the wildcard at the Olympic Team Trials.  With few major international results to his credit prior to the 2008 season, Herman captured a surprising win at the second round of the 2008 UCI Supercross World Cup series last April in Adelaide , Australia .  Along with Robinson, Herman is the only other American to win a Supercross World Cup this year and is one of only two U.S. riders to score points in all three 2008 World Cups to date.

Just one year before the 2008 Games, Robinson sprinted to a win ahead of the world's best BMX athletes, showing he has exactly what it takes to win an Olympic title.  At just 5'5", he is the shortest competitor on the international BMX circuit - a trait many see as a disadvantage in a sometimes contact sport.  But what Robinson lacks in size is more than compensated for in drive and determination. Unstoppable in 2006, he won nearly every race he entered and has become one of the most popular BMX riders in the world.  Robinson, who was fourth at the 2008 UCI BMX World Championships,  earned an automatic invitation to the Olympic Team Trials by attaining a top-5 ranking in the U.S. for the year of 2007.

The winner of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials will earn an automatic nomination to the Beijing Olympic Team.  Other competitors include Tyler Brown ( San Clemente , Calif. ), Danny Caluag ( Chino , Calif. ), Mike Day ( Santa Clarita , Calif. ) and Kristopher Fox ( Phelan , Calif. ).  2008 marks the debut of BMX in the Olympic Games.  American athletes are expected to excel in an event that has been on the extreme sport area for years. 

WHO: Seven Cisar, Bubba Harris, David Herman and Donny Robinson

WHAT: USOC and USA Cycling teleconference

WHEN: Tuesday, June 10 - 10:00 a.m. MDT (12:00 p.m. EDT/ 9:00 a.m. PDT)

DIAL-IN: 1-800-311-9410
Pass code: BEIJING08


For more information, please contact USOC Communications at 719-866-4529 or Andy Lee of USA Cycling at 719-866-4867.