In Episode 7 of Bikeground, I sit down with Maris Strombergs, the Latvian legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist who changed the history of BMX Racing. We dive into his life after retirement, his two Olympic victories, and the mindset behind becoming “The Machine.” Maris shares untold stories from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, his iconic World Championship wins, and the reality of chasing success as a European rider in a U.S.-dominated sport.
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00:00 French Intro – Welcome to Bikeground Episode 7
01:33 Will Maris Strombergs ever come back to racing?
05:55 2018: The final season of “The Machine”
09:36 Maris’ take on the new UCI BMX categories
13:39 Modern BMX tracks vs. the old-school era
15:59 Life after BMX – what Maris does today
19:26 Why giving back to BMX matters to him
21:27 How Maris knew it was time to retire
25:48 His advice to the next generation of riders
30:20 The importance of developing your own style
31:57 How Latvia became a BMX power nation
40:14 The story behind his relationship with Arturs Matisons
49:28 2008 World Championship Final – Taiyuan: the beginning of an era
56:18 2012 World Championship Final – Birmingham: the one that got away
01:01:17 2016 World Cup Final – Papendal: the last big race
01:11:27 Moving to the USA – a life-changing decision
01:14:56 NBL vs. ABA – understanding the American BMX rivalry
01:19:17 His fiercest competitors on the track
01:21:27 Fighting to get sponsors as a European rider
01:25:06 How Maris Strombergs makes a living today
01:28:06 His take on the French domination in BMX
01:30:19 The three core values every BMX rider should live by
01:37:59 London 2012 – the race that defined his legacy
🎤 Host: Moana M-C, Elite World Championship bronze medalist (2012) and Olympic rider at London 2012
🎥 Visuals captured by Morgan Palun – check out more of his work at https://www.morganpalun.com/
Find us on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
#bmxlife #bmxrace #bmxracing #london2012 #bikeground
episode. the machine. Set. Let’s go. Hi guys, this is background episode number seven. Today, this is um special episode once again, a very special one because today I’m with Maris Stroberg. Maris Bonjour. Bonjour. Dude, it’s been a while. It’s been a minute. Yeah. And then it’s good to be here. Good to see you again. Like you said, it’s been a while. And uh yeah, here we are. I think that the last time that we wrote together, that was London 2012. Um but before we start, I have so many topics I would like to cover with you today. I just would like to thank you to thank all of you guys because you are more and more people enjoying the show, enjoying the podcast. So once again, thank you very much for for that. Maris, yeah, you’re in France. I’m in France. Yeah, it’s been a minute too. And uh it’s good to be back. Yeah, a lot of uh a lot of history here as well for as you know for my own career and uh so it was great. Yeah, this was the first time coming here doing a little the machine training tour, meeting all the kids and some of the older riders. So, it was good, great experience and uh honestly I was pleasantly surprised. Yeah. With the amount of the the kids, the way they, you know, they listen, they pay attention. So, it was great to see. And then I think we got a besides the weather, other than that, it was a awesome awesome weekend. I have the feeling that you are racing a little bit more at least, you know, like going to the tracks with your son. Uh, spending a little bit more time on the bike as well. Is there anything special behind or Yeah, nothing nothing’s brewing. Nothing’s brewing, honestly. And people I get asked that a lot and uh yeah, I just it requires a little bit of work. I know people think it’s just you hop on the bike and just go in the Med Pro. Yeah, no problem. Yeah, but they don’t understand that it requires a routine, the training schedule. It has to be a little more. You don’t want to First of all, I would never show up if I wasn’t I didn’t feel like I was prep prepared. Yeah. Don’t I mean, I’ve done it before, but uh I wouldn’t do it now. Yeah. Yeah. And uh so yeah, I mean, honestly, Australia does sound good. You know, the reason why I I I said it before because I would be 39 years old and when I won my first world title, my number was 39. So, you know, you can link some things together, but uh as far as it happening, I I don’t know, honestly, there some some crazy would have to happen. Yeah. But, uh like I said, I enjoy working with kids, you know, that’s one thing. And my son, I it’s more of just keeping him active. Yeah. Yeah. I want him to understand what his dad did and stuff like that. And then I try to bring him around and then if he ever decides to, you know, continue, great. If not, I mean, that’s that’s is up up to him. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. That’s cool. Because honestly speaking, mate, I’ve seen some of your obviously some of your content on on Instagram. You still have a very good first trait, but you’re not training at all. You’re not going to the gym. You’re not doing heavy squats anymore. So, this is just like pure Yeah. No, no, they I can make you the promise now. Yeah. There’s no I only gym I do it’s in my own own garage. Yeah. It’s a small little gym. Maybe spend I try I mean an hour here and there but there’s no deadlifts. There’s no squats. There’s no Yeah. Crazy crazy play pio and you know. Yeah. Yeah. Pio and all that stuff. There’s nothing of that going on. And you know occasionally if I’m really bored instead of gym I’ll just maybe we’ll squeeze like quick little sprint session but we we looking at like once every two months. Yeah. One thing as well, you know, I at least for for me because sometimes I’m like even like going back to the track, why not from time to time, you know, there are some guys like Pablo Gutierz, riding a lot, making some races, etc., but I’m like, dude, I’m so scared of crashing. Yeah. No, no, 100%. And then, and to me, it’s the same. Obviously, I’m uh I put a lot of work in over my career and I, you know, I really can rely on on uh on my experience, still got the skill there. So, I’m I’m I’m I’m trying to keep everything under control. If I ever feel that there’s moment where I’m passing the threshold where it’s like I’m losing control, then I tell myself right away, yeah, this is not this is not your job anymore. Yeah. Yeah. This is not your job anymore. And uh and I love I enjoy playing golf. Yeah. I could not see myself in a in a cast for two months and not be able to play golf yet. So that would that would really suck. So So obviously, yeah, I just I’m keeping it fun. Obviously, as you get on the bike, I mean, a little bit. It’s not fun if you don’t go fast, right? Cuz I was always to me it was all about speed going fast and and trying to win the race. Yeah. Right. So I was never a guy that was going to go to the track and do all these crazy flips and, you know, some crazy stuff. So for me, it was all about speed. Yeah. staying low, looking good, and going fast. Yeah. So, if I can’t do that, then it’s just not fun. So, I’m trying to kind of find the happy medium now. Yeah. That’s where I’m at. That’s cool. You quit racing. I think that I was in 2017, right? Yeah. The the last race was uh 2018. It was a tangent program. I think I did actually now maybe I I think I I went to Canada actually after that. Okay. I did some clinics as all the training for kids and there was a local racers like hey you got to race and then I had to I had to battle it out with these local kids which you know they that’s not easy. Yeah it’s not easy cuz local kids they they fast right and uh but I won that one I won tangent pro and then but the whole 2018 for me was I mean yeah know I I kind of deep down I knew this is it. Yeah. Okay. after 2017 Worlds I felt like I had a physically I felt like I had a chance. I mean I could have won whatever but the things didn’t happen the way you know I planned or what what not but uh and then after the race I was like yeah this this is my last race. Yeah as far as the world this is my last worlds and uh I knew it and uh but I didn’t want to announce anything you know cuz people I don’t want to be the guy that’s I’m retiring oh no I’m coming back I’m retiring 3 months later I’m coming back. Yeah. So I wanted to wait to be to really be sure. I did a couple races the same end of 2017 and uh 2018 came around. I just wanted to wait. Even the coach said just just wait around, you know, you never know. And I kind of kept riding a little bit. Did some sprints here and there just to kind of keep myself in shape in case I change my mind so I can in those two three months I can get myself where I need to be, you know, need to be competitive again. And then uh and uh yeah that my son my son was born he was born in uh end of June and literally the same night I was like this is it. Yeah I knew it and I think I announced it I think October. Got to check my got to check my old post. Yeah but but I didn’t but like I said I knew it for a year. Deep down I I knew this is it. Yeah. And I’m glad I made the decision. Okay. So no regrets at all because I was wondering you know for someone you know of your pedigree of course you know with two Olympic gold medals I’m like seeing someone like Joris 33 now 34 he won the Olympics um he was 33 so we have much more writers like getting older and still being able to to be very fast and to uh um to compete. I was wondering if if that was something that you were like, hey, maybe I should have gone for two or three years. Yeah. Know, see that I feel like the sport it it it changes all the time that nothing stays the same, right? And I feel like the when the U23 U23 class came in. So, normally, you know, back in the day when I was 19 that there’s there’s no turning back. I got to go elite, right? Elite. Yeah. First year is always rough and the second year is like, hey, you got two choices. either you figure it out or you kind of got to or you going to keep sucking in elite, right? So there’s you got to grow up fast. There’s no like babysitting really. Definitely. And uh and I think that those young kids they always they once they turn elite they make a they shake the class a little bit you know and that’s why I think back in the days it was you know I look at when I first Olympic games was 21 second one I was 25. So that kind of was I felt like 21 to like 27 was the prime major. Now it’s like, you know, there’s U23. It kind of slows down the process. So the the guys kind of they have a chance to battle it out a little bit longer with their own kind of age group a little bit you call it. But uh but it doesn’t mean it’s less competitive. Yeah. There’s you know the level of the racing is do you think you know like those kind of changes having like now new categories like you know like even like junior men women on world cups youth 23 and then elite. Do you think it was like a smart move from the UCI and from an athlete perspective? This is something positive. You know, I don’t I don’t want to say nothing bad. Obviously, I’m I haven’t heard the why the decision were made. What was the reason behind I you know, obviously you got to look at the numbers. Is it helping the sport? Is it hurting the sport right now? But myself, not a big fan. Not a big fan. I’m not saying maybe there should be something else. But uh maybe then we got to change the whole junior class. Maybe the junior class should be junior should be 3 years and then after then it’s elite. There’s nothing. But I feel like junior U23 elite. It’s to me something’s too much going on. I’m not Yeah. Like I feel like Yeah. For me personally, but again, everyone has their own opinion and stuff. So, uh, I don’t have the solution at the moment, but I think it it could be better. Yeah, it could be done better. Yeah, maybe. You know, when I’m thinking about this, I was like, okay, because I struggled a little bit, you know, when I moved to the elite category the first couple of years, I crashed a lot. And then I was like, yeah, but you know, those kind of categories like you 23, I think this would have helped me a lot back then. But on the other hand, I’m like, “Yeah, but dude, you were like only 20 and competing with those guys.” You know, when I was younger, Yeah. I I had the chance. For instance, I was I’m still like a very big fan of Kyle Bennett and I had the opportunity to race. Yeah. Yeah. You know, same goes with Thomas Salier, Mackiday. So, being able to to race as a young, you know, young adult within the edit category was also, you know, like a dream come true for for me. So I’m a I’m a strong believer if there’s a U23 class, it starts whatever at 19 and if you stay there all four years, I feel like you missed the you missed your opportunity. I don’t the odds of making you an elite is going to I feel like lowers. I feel like one two years transition I I see it okay but then you got to make that step like 22. You cannot, you know, be like U23 and win all, you know, all the titles every year. But again, you know, it’s all those titles still count, right? You get support from your federations, from the city. So, it keeps those riders in the sport a little bit longer. So, I get it. There’s different aspect as well, but I feel like you got to find a way to simplify it a little bit. Yeah. Three classes, junior that I think it’s something’s a little off. Something doesn’t Maybe I’m just old school guy. So whatever it is but uh it could be done better. You know I have the feeling because this year was actually you know the first time that I was going back to World Cup. So we’ve been to uh to Sarans and it was even almost complicated for for me to understand the format. There are always pros and cons. It’s I think it’s very important to to to test and learn to try things. But yeah sometimes I’m yeah I’m missing the the good old days. But it’s ice and also I mean I think most of the guys the league guys can agree too. I feel like watching a little bit more this year and last year because the previous years I kind of was more away from the sport more and uh racing worlds they’re racing two days. Yeah. Right. It’s like a one qualifi qualifying round and the last last chance qualify and then the next day you show up for three more laps. I mean we can get it done in one day. Yeah. It’s just it’s just a waste of a day. I mean then you know the same people then a lot of people not going to stay there go those extra day just to watch the you know it’s it sounds too much we got to simplify the product and I feel like in then everything simple is always the one that simple is beautiful simple is be exactly yeah when we when we try to complicate things that’s when it gets complicated and when we it’s easy to get lost it’s a recurring topic that I have and that I’m asking you know we had this discussion with Jarice with with Roman sa Eddie Silven also, you know, the evolution of the tracks because we went through a period of time when maybe we went a little I mean, we experience, you know, something that was maybe a little bit too crazy, but now it’s, you know, on on the on the clear opposite, you know, it’s way too soft, way too mellow. Um, even like prosections are not prosections anymore. M so see with the tracks um my personal opinion yeah we I was part of era where some I call it dumb dumb stuff was done yeah unfortunately I I I’m going to say it as it is you know cuz even some of the worlds we raced Yeah I get it it’s cool we try to do it in indoors but the tracks we go race with the big hill and the first jumps are smaller than I see these little amateur tracks now you know it was dangerous. Yeah, first straits are so short. It’s just it it I get it. It might it might have looked good, but it’s just it didn’t show who really was the fastest guy. It was a lot of it was a more of a obviously in some ways it did, but it’s the more lotteryies involved at the same time. And uh just yeah, my personal opinion obviously, but again that was a learning process, you know, and it just sucks I was in the middle of it a little bit, right? looking back cuz I was in my prime at that time. But uh you know it is what it is and now we kind of going the other way. But yeah, I’m not really necessarily against where we going now just because the BMX is dangerous as it is. Yeah. And uh but I’m all for the solid second pro section. Yeah. The first straight should be consistent, solid, somewhat safe cuz we focusing on the the most speed and power, all that stuff. And second straight we can get a little wild and then third straight obviously we get a little rhythm section and and solid finish straight. That’s just my personal opinion. Yeah. But but that’s Yeah. We’ll see. We’ll see where we see where BMX is 10 years from now. Exactly. It’s going to evolve anyway. Yeah. Yeah. And uh that’s the the interesting part of it. Yeah. So we discussed a little bit, you know, like your potential comeback. So no comeback at all. What does your life look like right now? H I mean at first yeah I had too much BMX I guess. Yeah. You know cuz the the whole retirement it wasn’t just a like I said one day decision like I said it before and uh there were moments where I just didn’t really feel like you know doing it back in like 2013 2015 you know the motivation was just it was a battle. It was an inside battle non-stop. Yeah. Yeah. And then I was just trying to find something. Okay, just what else? What else? You know, something. And then it it was tough. It wasn’t easy. And uh so that’s why when I announced the retirement, yeah, I was just completely no BMX at all. I completely checked out. Yeah. And you were very comfortable with the idea. I completely checked out. I was comfortable. Obviously, I picked up golf. It was a lot of golf. Yeah. Ask my wife. She probably say sometimes too much. Yeah. But uh but you know I was happy. I was happy. I went in the summer I went to Lapia. I was more about family raising the son and you know and then the daughter was born later. So and then uh and everyone always kept asking me it’s like hey you you got to you can’t just sit around and just do nothing right. It’s like what do you mean I I can right life right? And but after a while but now good yeah no life was good don’t get me wrong. And then uh it just year ago or whatever kind of hit me is like now I feel like with everything I achieved in the sport I feel like there’s more to be done. Yeah. It just wouldn’t be it wouldn’t be right if I just checked out and it’s like yeah you know the first gold medalist whatever first two gold medals in in in in BMX in general right and then and just check out and be like hey see you later guys. Yeah, but I feel like there’s so much to be done in the sport. Maybe I don’t know what it is yet. Obviously, I’m working on the on the on the the machine brand right now at the moment. That’s one thing, but going around visiting all the all the tracks and kids, you know, that’s one thing. I don’t know where it’s going to lead me eventually. Maybe get involved in how how in in one way or another make the BMX better a little bit, you know, grow the sport somehow. So, we’ll see where the where it takes me eventually. But uh but I’m around. Yeah, I’m around. And then that’s why when I was in Latia this summer too, I I decided to visit all the tracks. Yeah. Cuz I got all the kids and cuz they they heard all the stories about Mary Strobergs, there’s this legend and this what not. But they never saw me in person, right? And that’s where the whole thing started. It was like I had my bike with me. We rode together a little bit, hung out, talked, and they gave him the opportunity to kind of hang out. and you know I was obviously with my medals and stuff so and uh yeah and then now I decided to just kind of make it a little bit bigger visit the obviously I’m I’m here in France and then the plans are to go to different countries later on and then like I said where I’ll end up a couple years from now who knows yeah but uh I don’t see myself yeah working for UCI if you ask me who knows I mean who knows yeah but uh that’s that’s obviously not the plan and uh but uh I’m I’m here for it like I My heart has always been in in BMX and I just I want to see the professional athletes I want to see in general the BMX grow. And uh I I want to see professional athletes holding bigger paychecks and end of the Yeah, for sure. End of the races. Yeah. You know, I think it’s very cool for for a guy like you being involved with the with the youngest generations. I think it’s it’s important. There are not not much pros doing that. I mean all former elite guys not keen to to come back in a way. Yeah. I mean when you again when you act a racer I mean obviously the that’s not something you want to do cuz it’s all you got to have your you know your schedule your naps your rest you know whatever it is it’s all it’s all BMX and uh and but to me it was trust me when I was racing for me it was the same thing when I had to do a you know favorite you know we had to do a clinic here and there and I’m looking at the younger kids is like I’m telling him to do one thing and I’m looking like how come how come you don’t understand right cuz you’re you professional athlete you’re like what do you mean I’m telling you dude this is basic thing how how do how’s it possible you don’t get it but but then later on as I retired you know had my own kids and I starting to understand more and learn about the kids it’s it’s it’s a lot different yeah maturity m exact maturity but you understand yeah with kids you got to work a little bit different and then and stuff like that and and it comes with time yeah you know that back then it wasn’t obviously it was all about results achievements all this stuff and training hard on yourself Yeah. Yeah. You have to as a pro. Yeah. Yeah. As a pro basically I always say my wife too. And then as a pro I mean you have to be a little selfish. Yeah. Cuz you know in some ways cuz it’s you know as as as crazy as it sounds it’s it kind of is all about you know at at certain time it’s kind of all about you. Yeah. Cuz everything is you know it’s you you and then BMX BMX and you got to you know you travel you need results. You not that you need results but you’re obviously aiming for the Yeah. the highest achievements and you know it’s it’s physically and mentally you know it can it be get a little draining. Yeah. And how did you did you leave the uh the transition? Was it hard or not that much the retirement? Yeah. Not really honestly cuz uh I mean my coach he still try to he try to convince me to Tokyo as an option. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I still you know and uh are you talking about evil? Yeah, evil lucha and um but yeah I just didn’t see it. I didn’t see it and and watching Tokyo I mean glad I made the decision when I did. Yeah, you know and uh it wasn’t it it wasn’t my type of track and I’m glad obviously co happened at the same time and I felt like I would have wasted three four years. Yeah, you know, my life and being being that selfish me again, you know, and so, no, I’m completely uh completely happy and transition was easy cuz I already kind of was halfway retired. I started picked up golf, I was playing a lot of golf and and doing some other stuff. So, uh yeah, I just it was kind of and I and myself, I knew it too, like I was prepared. I knew I don’t want to be the guy that gets pushed out of the sport. I want to be the guy that leaves on my terms when I want to leave. Obviously, I wanted wanted to leave with maybe winning a world title, what not, but obviously there wasn’t in the cards, but uh but I would I didn’t want to be the guy that’s in the motos and getting cut off every lap. Yeah. That’s not how I want to. Yeah. So, I felt like this is the time and I’m completely completely good with it. Yeah. When I stopped BMX, I think that was in 2014 2015, I was not even able to make any finals at the French level. Yeah. I was completely gone mentally. I was gone but I was still like in this kind of process. Ah let’s try again. Let’s try maybe it’s going to come back but never and I was you know like looking back at it I was like oh I think I should have quit after London. Definitely that was a good year and then going back to school and so on but I feel very difficult for I and I think it’s it’s it’s the case for for for many writers you know to to take this kind of decision. Obviously, I mean, my coach plays a big part as well. Obviously, my parents, the way I was raised, maybe, you know, but uh I always always kind of knew it. And uh people always are surprised when I tell them it’s like the BMX was I mean, as much as I love the sport and I did it my whole life, it was never my favorite sport. Really? Yeah. It was never that I My favorite sport was always basketball, right? And I And then when I was 10, I quit BMX for a while, too. But even though I won the worlds when I was nine, when I was 10, I I stopped racing for a while. I started playing basketball and stuff. But uh and uh but again, what happened is that the the basketball system in Latia for the kids was it wasn’t in a good state at the mind. Yeah. Coaches back then, they were running the games completely drunk and stuff and yelling at little kids. So it kind of pushed me away from the basketball. But even though cuz Latia is a strong country in basketball, right? You have some Yeah. Yeah. Know we got some good NBA players. know the the system has changed and everything is good but you know in the end it worked out. Yeah. So it kind of pushed me away and then obviously BMX was always there and then it kind of picked it up again and I kept you know kept riding and riding and there still there were a couple moments yeah when I when I was 16 and I think 19 when I or 18 whatever it was I think 19 when I was like just wasn’t quite 100% sure. Yeah. And uh but I always tell kids too, what kept me in the sport is not not all the the good achievements or the victories, but those those bad moments, those bad races that I felt like I was fast, but something always happened. It’s like I came and clipped or hit the gate when I felt like why me? And then I, you know, like I always tell kids, you know, then I went home, I looked in the mirror and I knew I’m doing something wrong. Yeah. So maybe all these thoughts of trying to, you know, wanting to maybe quit BMX is maybe not for me or not training hard or maybe going out and partying too much or whatever it was at the time, but I knew it was me. I started with me. So you know, and then looking back, I made the decision. Yeah, this you know, I want BMX. If I focus on something, then I got to give 100%. And u and here we are. Yeah. Obviously. And then if there is one advice that you would like to to share to you know like the kids or once again to those youngest younger generations what would it be? Uh there’s I mean there’s so many things I can tell you but obviously that as as simple as it sounds first of all yeah there’s no shortcuts. Yeah, it’s not there’s no and you know that the talent is great but hard work in the end hard work always going to be talent. Yeah. Long term there’s there’s not even a question, right? Totally agree. And uh yeah, I mean that’s that’s what I always tell kids and uh you got to work hard. Yeah. You got to earn that. You got to earn that luck. Yeah. The luck doesn’t just just come to you because you look pretty or you ride nice or you got good skills on the bike. You got to put the work in. You got to got to believe in what you do. You got to have good habits and all that stuff. And I truly believe Yeah. I believe in karma and all that stuff. So, you know, there there are golf gods up there, too. You’re watching you. If you don’t do something right, they will let you know. Yeah. Right. So, interesting. Interesting. I think it’s very important. Yeah. Yeah. you know, and um I had the the opportunity to to went to a couple of BMX tracks in France, you know, that the system is is is quite good. You know, the the way the the local clubs are structured and so on, but I have the feeling that there are like more and more parents pushing their kids, but you know, way too much. Is is it something that you uh you are foreseeing as well? No, I mean again every country is probably different. Yeah. You know, there’s again it’s all about finding the balance. Yeah. And I always tell a lot of parents obviously you want your kid to be successful. You want him to I always tell you don’t want your kid to win too much at an early age. Yeah. Which sounds crazy, but it I’ve know so many there’s so many writers that I’ve seen win all these challenge classes one year after another. win win world champs and the junior years come maybe stick around elite completely gone disappear right so we peak too early right and and I to me I was fortunate where I was always I was in the mix I was always good but there was always that couple other kids and you know once a year it’s hard to put it all together right when you when we get a chance to travel to European champs or to the worlds and so to me I really truly believe it’s not not too healthy to win too much too early but Um, so you got to find out right balance. Yeah. You know, there a lot of parents it’s you want to push the kid a little bit obviously, you know, to make sure he, you know, stays on the right path and that and all that stuff, but it’s not about the results. Yeah. It’s about the, you know, I had the one of the tattoos as well right here. It’s about the the journey, right? How we get there. That’s that’s that’s that’s what it should be all about. Yeah. It’s all about, you know, the kid has a chance to race, let’s say the European Championship, it’s somewhere else. It’s all about all the family, driving to the race, you know, hanging out, spending time together, and you know, watching the kid that he’s trying, he’s warming up, he’s really wanting, and if it doesn’t work out, hey, it’s not a big deal, you know, it’s really not a big deal. Yeah, it’s all about that all that time you spend together, all that those moments, you know, and then the kid, you know, that he was there, he was present, he wanted, he tried, he gave his best, and and obviously you go home, you you know, if he he wants to push himself harder, great. That’s what he’ll figure it out himself. Yeah. Right. It’s not, you know, my coaching my coaching, real coaching started with Evo. Yeah. When I was like 16, 15. Yeah. Really? Before obviously I had coaches, but it was never Yeah. It was just three times a week track and boom, that’s it. there. I former elite man from Latia. Obviously, he won the European Championship two 2003. I think he could be a stats. Yeah, he had Bulldog starts all kinds of all kinds of brands that many people not a couple of podiums at the end of the year for sure. He met a couple of European pers, but also he made like one or two finals at the world. Yeah, I know he got second on the 2001 Kentucky on the on the power. Good old power light behind Dale. Behind Dale. Yeah. J Jason Richardson I think was there too. Yeah. And uh I got I think I got third that year myself. I was there too. Yeah. And uh Yeah. No, a lot of lot of you know a lot of good memories, a lot of lot of good times. And uh about you though one before I forget. Yeah. I mean you always you always had your style though. You could not when you see you ride on the track, you could tell right away who that was, right? Which is cool. Which to me, that’s what BMX is lacking right now. Yeah. I want more more personalities. Be you, you know, that’s how you want to. That’s your style a little bit. Hey, we can adjust a little bit. Make sure we get the basics down, but be you. Yeah. Right. To me, it’s we we try to sometimes put too many too many riders in just just one box. This is it in one mold. One mold. Yeah. And then this is the way. Yeah. But there’s you got to put that always f you know there’s letter E and we got to put that dot on that letter I whatever you know ourselves. Yeah of course. I mean we are doing BMX racing. So when you have to race you have to go fast and to be the the quickest. But on the flip side we also have the opportunity to to bring a little bit of creativity. you know, being stylish. When I was a kid, that was one of my goal. Okay, I would love to win races, but I want to be stylish. And but see, when you combine that with a little bit of proper mindset, physical abilities, a little bit little bit training and you can keep that style and boom, there’s a result. Yeah, for sure. And there’s the there’s a personality there, you know, possible star, you know, obviously takes it’s a lot of obviously a lot of little things that has to click and happen, but in general Yeah. And then I would love to see more of that. Definitely. Yeah. We discussed about um Evo a couple of minutes ago. You you discussed about the fact that you went back to Latvia. You met some kids over there. I’ve always been very impressed about Latvian riders because back then and and I’ve checked the stat from 2005 to 2014 every year except in 2009 we had Latian riders on the top of the box or on the box of of the European Championship every year. And in 2006, Madison won, Evo second, and then Zentin third. And you, I think you finished FIFA. No, the overall. Yeah, the overall. No, I think I was 11th. Yeah, that again that year was a good good wakeup call for me cuz a lot of people know the whole winter. Yeah. Thursday and Saturday I was in the club till 6:00 in the morning and that was the result that right there. Yeah. So, obviously I went the junior t year before. Yeah. First year. Not that I was not that I had this, you know, like, oh, you know, I’m a star, now I’m going to go party. No, no, but it’s just I got sucked in that in that lifestyle just a little bit. Yeah. But uh but I was still training. This is something I was not aware of. But I was still training and then but uh I mean it leaves its mark. Yeah. When you out there till 5:00 in the morning. Yeah. You know, taking taking one shot after another, you know. So you went through these kind of short dance floor machine her call. Yeah, you can call it that way. Yeah. All the all the dancing dancing on the stage and all kinds of stuff. Yeah. But uh but you know to me those are great learning experiences and it’s it’s way I mean again I don’t wish anyone that they go do that and obviously not but for me it worked. Yeah. you know, I was fortunate enough where I I knew it’s time to stop. It’s not for you and that’s not that’s not where I want to be in BMX, right? And uh and uh like I always say, it’s better to sometimes it’s way better to learn the hard way instead of your coach telling you it’s like, hey, it’s not good for you. Don’t do it. Right. So, so there’s a little bit of, you know, good in both. Yeah. So, for me, it worked out. Yeah. They’re always good lessons. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you know going back to to my question I’m really impressed because for instance 2005 Thomas Alia won. So that’s the European championship. 2005 Thomas Alier Evil Lak second Floren third 2006 Matis won Lak second zentin third 07 Thomas Alia won you finished second artist Matis second the third 2008 you won Ho finished second 2000 2009 no Lian guys come on dude such a poor year 2000 I moved to America here 2010 10 Madison finished third. Um 2011, Edusman finished second. Edustmen won in 2012. Riyad V finished second in 2012. You won 2013 and 2014 in a row. Yeah. In terms of country, how many riders are in LA? Yeah. Know I I what I before I forget my thought. Yeah. People don’t even realize how far behind we were BMX wise from you guys. Yeah. From Netherlands. Uh and obviously huge huge part is Evo Evo Aucha coach cuz obviously I was still a little kid. I was just happy to ride my whatever it was a 20 kilogram bike at that time. Yeah. Some old one. But uh and he was the one that they went to the there was a race let’s say in in Holland whatever they go there and they see oh that’s how they do it that’s what kind of handlebars they have oh they all doing wheelies in the parking lot so they go home whole year that’s what they do right wheelies in the parking lot so next time they go is like oh wow the things have changed they know they they’re sitting down on the bike doing wheelies pedaling on the bike so now they go practice on you know but that just shows how we went there to learn Yeah, trying to learn and get better. And obviously we were so far behind in that regard. And even when I won my first Olympic medal, even we were in the mix and already established country, but we only had think about it. We only had like 140 150 total riders in the whole country. That’s the thing. Think about it right now. It just it blows my mind, right? How how did we do it? Right. Back then you were like maybe how many elite men were Latians? Guys, we discussed you know those kind of years 2005 2006 six of course Matthew Sons yourself Zentins Evo Lakush who else let’s say five six maybe seven raiders like U yeah there honestly yeah not yeah not that yeah we I don’t think we definitely didn’t have semis yeah no semis yeah but most of you guys most we had like nine 10 yeah in the top 10 on the European level which is which is amazing you know France back then were like maybe 12 13 thousands of riders. That’s a lot. You know, the the federation was not as structured as it is nowadays for sure. But it was already, you know, quite good. And I’m like, you know, if you compare the the the volume of riders and then at the bottom of the funnel, the number of elite guys who had the ability to win, you know, that the conversion rate is massive. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What are the reasons behind what was the the secret for us? Yeah. Uh I mean always honestly I I I give it to my coach Eucha. He had the obviously the BMX in general started I think in ‘ 88 or ‘ 89 in Latia. The guy who started I he was the one in friends with uh some Dutch guys and then he brought the BMX to Latia better. But that’s looking way back and obviously Evo was the the big reason. Yeah. You know because he was kind of like to me he was like my first idol. You put it that way. Obviously he was Denny Nelson American racer but as far as local he was the guy. Yeah. Be like wow you know I want to wish I could train with him one day you know stuff like that. And then I had that opportunity later in my career. But um so he’s a big reason he had his vision. He you know he wanted to be the not that he wanted. I’m sure there’s other guys, but he was traveling to Europe to all the races at first, obviously getting beat and then coming home trying to get better and better and then assessing everything and learning everything and also he went, you know, went to study in, you know, in in that segment as well. Cool. So, um, and honestly, the big reason we were just at that point, we were just kind of like a little ducks following the, you know, the the main guy and then, uh, yeah, it just just kind of happened. Yeah, we were just just obsessed with BMX. We just just riding trying to get better. And obviously, for me, it was great cuz I had Evo at that time to catch. I had Madison’s. He was older than me. Yeah. And I was kind of third, fourth in line really at that time. And then I just that one year honestly the what year was it? Yeah. I mean honestly 2007. Yeah. That’s when it kind of kind of really started clipping you. Yeah. After after the final rounds in France. 2007. Tom I won that title. Yeah. But the final rounds were in France and I won I remember I won the both days and since that moment it just something kind of clicked and then it was Yeah. The rest obviously is history. Yeah. M yeah and and and I always want to give heads down to my coach as well cuz he was always coaching me knowing that it’s just matter of probably months or whatever a year till I’m going to pass. And yeah, but he still stuck with it. You know, a lot of people would be like, “Hey, you’re getting faster than me and I can’t coach anymore.” But he was like, “No, he knew it.” And he was all all for it. Yeah. He wanted me to. It was True. Yeah. True coach, true leader. Because as a leader, it was it was even like even more happier to seeing you like growing, getting better and better at some point and then being able to beat him. Oh, and I mean, we had our moments too, don’t get me wrong. Like any relationship, we had, you know, it wasn’t all all great. There was some rocky waters through what, you know, at some some years, but uh but you know, we still we figured it out and we still Yeah. What was your relationship with uh artist Matis? I mean the relationship right now is uh is good. Yeah. We we when I’m in Latia we get together once a while play some golf and you know and and stuff like that but uh at that time uh I mean uh I wasn’t I didn’t have a bad relationship but we were not starting 2008 we were not training together anymore. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I was vivo and then obviously later on Tmani and Reheard V joined us. Yeah. And uh he was on his own and uh and that was his decision. Yeah. Okay. You know that was his decision and the way it happened obviously we might have his own story. Yeah. You know but uh we I still remember to this day we were we had a training camp in France and um semim. Yeah. The winter time my coach and assistant Yeah. They couldn’t come as early so they they joined us like five six days later. Yeah. Okay. So we were there training. There was three guys in to school. I don’t know. Yeah. Yeah. Junior kid. Yeah. And uh and then we were doing gates. Yeah. And just that year just every gate I was just beating him every gate. Yeah. And that’s when he kind of like he didn’t like that. Yeah. And again not not blaming anybody, you know. You know, obviously. Exactly. But uh and that’s when he decided when my coach came to do things on his own. Yeah. Yeah. But my my coach came to France at that time. Evo. Yeah. He was like what’s going on that they one is on this side of the track, one is on this day, not riding together anymore. And uh and he just for whatever reason he coach chose Yeah. chose my side and then we start stuck with it and then stayed together till the end of my career. Yeah. And then he was Arus was training with Evo’s brother. Yeah. Okay. So, there was always a lot of politics and you know back then we all can sit down with a glass of whiskey and talk about the good old days and what could have should have and maybe we should have done this and done this but uh that was the that was the situation and brother wasn’t talking the brothers weren’t talking either even though they were coaching our two and other brother was coaching me so it was it was interesting situation yeah put it that way because even from the outside I remember having a discussion with Floren boot back then with Thomas Amo as well. This is something that we noticed too. You know, it was so not so obvious, but you know, we we were like, “Oh, there is something in between Maris and and Artus.” Of course, Artus had, you know, some some amazing years. 2004, 2005, 2006, even in 2008 because he won the first World Cup in Madrid. Mhm. He was so dominant at the beginning of the season. I mean, maybe we, you know, the right way would be stick together. Hey, we are a small country. We got to stick together and if you win, great. We all root for each other. Yeah. But we kind of decided to create these two Yeah. two groups. Two groups. Yeah. And uh and not that I had I mean he was obviously growing up. Yeah. We were always traveling together with our tours. He was two years older. So he was always I was always just trying to copy him, do whatever he does. Yeah. So you was always younger kid. Yeah. And uh it just it just kind of happened. But I never, it’s not that I had any bad relationship with him, but I was I was training with Evo and I was just focusing on my own stuff. I I I was not into politics. Yeah. Yeah. In the inside, all the whatever going on. So I just strictly I’m I’m training. I’m trying to go and win the race. That’s it. Yeah. Everything else is you guys deal with that stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember, you know, I don’t know exactly when was when was that, but after uh whether it was a World Cup of or a European round, but we had, you know, like a French team kind of meeting. Uh it was like a postmortem meeting and um the the national coach Fabris Veti back then told us guys look at the Latvians, you know, they are just, you know, like few riders, but they are killing it. They are not like physically or technically better than you are, but mentally they want to win everything. That’s it. They’re like a pack group and they want to kill everyone. Uh so you have to be mentally prepared as they are. And that was very interesting because I have this you know this kind of vision. I saw you guys. I think that was maybe after after race whether in Valkans in Netherlands, but you were all in a van traveling, you know, to to all of those European rounds from Latia. So, you know, it’s on the on the other other edge of of of the Eastern Europe. We had those discussions, you know, like how can we beat them now? Obviously, we were hungry, but like I don’t think we had the mindset to go in and we’re gonna kill everybody. It’s like we were still at least being hungry. Yeah. Yeah. Being hungry. But to me, I was always I mean I I put a lot of work in first of all and then uh but I always say I mean I was always humble. It was never like oh I’m going to yeah all these Frenchies I know I’m going to kill them all. Yeah. They you know they were in charge of BMX for so long. No, it’s our time. None of that. Positive rivalry. Yeah, it was positive rivalry and we were just happy that, you know, first of all, we had to get to your guys’ level. That was first, right? And uh and then the next thing it just just just kind of happened. Yeah. On its own. It’s not like anything was planned. And uh we always which which always helps when you have somebody to chase. Yeah. That’s why I feel like for us we had you got Dutch guys or back in the day Rob the Wild. It was always there was the guys that we like, oh, you know, we have somebody to chase till the moment that we were the ones getting chased. Yeah. Right. And right now, I mean, obviously I’m I’m I’m done racing now, but you know, it just it’s a circle. Yeah. You know, so I feel like we we are back to back in line again. So we we got to chase again. Yeah. Right. And then uh and uh that’s why even in Latia Yeah. Obviously the the whole Olympic gold medals gave good push to the sport. Yeah. it grew. We got more riders. But as I go back, I feel like I always tell like, hey, we got to have a plan. We cannot just live in the past because I had two gold medals thinking it’s going to last forever. Yeah. You know, it’s just few more years. You know, people are slowly starting to forget cuz you know, time goes by fast. Yeah. It’s been a while. And uh we got to have a plan how we can sustain how can we grow it like two, three year plan something. We got to do something. Yeah. But uh what is the strategy behind is he was still still involved. He’s involved a little bit. He coaches a couple kids here and there, but uh he kind of moved away. He did he was uh he was involved in in the soccer team. Yeah. Like the the physical trainer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So which you know he did he did pretty good there and stuff and he enjoyed it and he really liked it. But uh but he’s I think he’s slowly coming back more to into BMX again, getting more involved. So, uh we’ll see what happens with that. So, uh so we’ll see. We’ll see. Yeah. But, uh he’s still around and uh but uh like I said, yeah, you cannot sleep on the on the past results. You got to for sure. You always got to push forward. Yeah. Exactly. There is always something to chase. There is always Yes. something to to reflect on. And if you want to stay on the top or Well, at least if you just want to remain like for us it was always Yeah. We didn’t want to, even back in the day, I think that’s where we got where we got. We didn’t want to just copy you guys or do oh the French is doing this or Dutch guys this. We wanted to come on come on on the on the on the scene with our own, you know, with our own uh what’s the right word? Uh, you know, just with our own look. Yeah. Something different, something new. Yeah. That’s, you know, and and I think that’s with your own style, your your own pedigree. Yeah. own style or mindset or whatever, you know, whatever it was, you know, our own training programs. We didn’t want to just like, oh, they doing this for training, we’re going to do this. No, no, no, no. We were like, no, we going to do we’re going to do better. Yeah. You know, like that that the whole mindset and uh and uh Yeah. I mean, and thanks to Evo obviously. Yeah. Like I always call him, he’s my second dad basically. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. Yeah. Yeah. Dude, what we going to do? We’re gonna do a little exercise. I’ve selected three races that are to me interesting of course, but I’d like to get your thoughts. I’d like of course, you know, we we uh we seek for anecdotes for, you know, like insight stories and so on. So, we’re going to watch those races on my computer. Let’s do it. After each of them, we’re going to take a couple of minutes to to comment. The first one. This is basically your first. This is it. The final win. You’re looking at Stroberg. You might as well call. So this is Tuan China 2008. 2008 we’re up there. Your first gold medal at the UCI World Championship. Australia. I think I won every lap. Honestly, I don’t remember. Yeah, but Francis Thomas Napo from South Africa had some good races too. He was he got he got a good strength. Yeah, he was strong. Yeah, maybe a touch lacking the the skill on some technical more technical tracks, but the power was there. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, they battled all day long to get into this position. This is now do or die for them. This is for the world championship title. These guys are focused. You notice that Donnie gets up at the last second there. Very zenlike. And there’s the snap. The riders are up and watch. Look at he’s making a move. Who’s going to get it? A good start. Yeah. Dude, I really like the the turn of Steven Caesar. That was a That’s a solid French move right there. Seesaw is in third place. Incredible riding from from Napo. Incredible. Where’s Seesaw? He’s making his move. This is where he always gets it. And he does. He gets second place. It’s going to be Strobergs. Seesaw. Do you remember the Chinese lady announcing the races? That was Yeah. I my memory in general is not that a lot of little things I don’t I remember the big picture but a lot of little details I don’t she was yelling in the mic that was yeah that was terrible seeing this race I’d like to to to get your thoughts um on that and then I I’ll have few few questions for for you. I mean this one uh I mean the not that this is where it all started but I think I got that the name Maris was put out there on the world scene I feel like for the for real at that at this this race I think that’s what he did even though we had some world cups before and stuff where it’s like okay he’s fast but you know when you go win the worlds it’s like okay yeah that’s yeah wherever the guy is from but he’s pretty fast yeah because you had a tough beginning of the year in this specific year, right? Because I remember that you didn’t win out of the motos at the at Madrid the first World Cup. Yeah, I mean it was a crazy track. It was it was pretty wild. And I remember I was going in outside lane and which was I still remember I quick story I think I got seven six in the first motos and then I I picked lane eight and I won the third one with 14 points or 15 points whatever the people that know I I qualified. Yeah. For the next Okay. Yeah. I got out of the motos. I was like I was like I was kind of happy but at the same time like yeah I wasn’t happy but yeah I remember. Yeah. And uh to which extent this specific win, well rainbow jersey, you know, it’s not nothing, definitely not. But to which to which extent this race put you in a good position for the Olympics? I mean, I’m sure it did. Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about Olympics at this point. I knew I I I was qualified already. I’m going Olympics, all that stuff. But uh I mean I still remember to that day that day when my ex ex-girlfriend I mean at that time girlfriend yeah it was like month before Olympics or something after the world she I was sitting outside on the on the stairs you know by the house and she walked up to me he’s like yeah but have you ever thought about that you could actually go win Olympics you know you that was honestly the first time I was like yeah right I mean it kind of I what’s That’s was the first time I really kind of thought about it. It’s like, okay. And then it kind of got real. Yeah. But, uh, the first one obviously, don’t get me wrong, is special and it’s it’s it’s awesome to win the first gold medal and and all that stuff and it was a great experience, but it wasn’t as challenging just because I was the youngest guy on the team. Even though I was the world champ, a lot of people thought, okay, is the young kid gonna go to Olympics? It’s a whole different beast, you know. He’s going to he’s going to choke. Yeah. What? You know, not that that’s what they said, but basically not going to handle the pressure. So, and all the media attention was more on the whole team. Evo was there, Arturus was there. I was just kind of there, you know. So, you’re in a way kind of protected. Yes. Even though I’m sure there was expectations of world champ going in, but I felt like not as much was talked about me as you know it’s like okay he’s going to he’s our best chance now to win the gold. It wasn’t you know some of it. So he kind of helped me in that regards. Yeah. And then uh and then obviously the Olympics came around and and I still remember it was hot as hell there and me and Evo were the last guys because there was a lot of practice like hour sessions, twoour sessions. We were the the last guys. I mean, last session, everyone was already checked out. It’s too hot. We done. We already got enough practice. Me and Eva, we were still getting the first second straightaway, combos in, just making sure everything’s dialed in. And uh it all it all paid off. Yeah. And again, hats off to Evo. Yeah. I was just doing what I was told, you know? It’s like, hey, let’s get this done. Let’s do this, this, and I was just let’s do it. Yeah. And uh and he was I mean that’s why I think he’s he was a good coach obviously more than a coach but he genuinely even though he was racing he he wanted me to succeed. Yeah. You know and that’s why I that’s why I got where I got. Yeah. Very interesting. Let’s go for the second video. That isn’t the key to anyone. This is Birmingham 2012 UCLA World Champion. World Championship. Hey, who’s that guy? No, it’s a bit of ego boost. This is the first time that actually um we’re going to watch a video of myself racing kind of Well, I got a I’ve got an anecdote because we had a discussion together on the gate. Did I have lane six? Did I? No, you were supposed to have lane seven, but then I told you if I if I give you lane six, do you take lane six? It’s only yes. Oh, okay. Gotcha. So, I was like, okay, dude, let’s go lane six. I’m gonna I’m gonna take lane seven. That was this this race. I mean, obviously you can’t see right here, but I was u I had a fever. Yeah, I was right here probably 39. Yeah. Really? Yeah. Sick as a dog. Yeah. But again, when you’re sick, the first day is great cuz your body’s fighting because actually, dude, you had a good gate. A hell of a good of of a first straight. Stroberg’s trying to get around that. We will be in front. Jory second. And then I got you on from the outside. You cased the last jump so hard. Yeah, I was kind of already bus. I got disqualified by the world champion. Will be won. Jory second. Myself third and you finished last I think. Yeah. Yeah, I got last but then they disqualified me. Yeah. Okay. Why? was because I crashed and I was walking off the track and then they were yelling me, “Hey, you got to put the helmet on and cross the finish line with your bike.” And I was like, “Dude, I just crashed. You know, I got hurt. What do you want? Leave me alone.” And then they, you know, I guess I I think they took it personal. That’s all it was. Cuz I don’t I obviously I haven’t I’ve never read their UCI rule book, so I don’t really know. But but to me, it just seemed crazy, guys. Like, what if they walk me on the stretcher? Do they put helmet on and run me through the finish line, too? just like you know so that seemed a little crazy but obviously I think the world eight was given whoever got 15 semi. Yeah. So I got completely erased from this world. Yeah. Which is you know crazy but uh again if only the track was longer a little bit longer. This I felt like I mean I felt physically great. I even though I was sick that day but I always say you know you were a good half bike in front. Yeah you know I had a good gate. Everything was it felt great in the final. Too short, you know. It was a little he was a little too short. Yeah. And uh but again, I mean it’s not like Sam is easy guy to beat regardless. Yeah. Sam was he was like always to me you always ask me who’s your biggest, you know, the obviously I battle rival or I battled Randy Stumper I moved it was Kyle Bennett and then Sam came around but to me Sam was the toughest one from all of them just because the dude just never gave up. Yeah, that’s something we’re gonna discuss right after we want to. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But uh and uh yeah, you know, some of these little tracks I felt like that’s I mean, looking back, we all could have, would have, should have, right? But I felt like I I should have won a Yeah. couple more couple I should have couple more world titles, right? But um but it’s not something I go to bed and think about and you know, yeah. But uh looking back, I just Yeah. I wish the tracks were was a touch better. Yeah. But don’t you think that, you know, like [Music] not winning the world this year was a kind of helpful for the Olympics or not at all? You know, pressure-wise? Um, no. I don’t think it would have really obviously now we never know how it would have worked out if I won the worlds but um yeah I don’t think it would have honestly changed changed much cuz the whole year was it was all about Olympics already obviously you want to win the worlds and if I won the worlds I would have probably been like okay I won the worlds 2008 everything’s looking good on the right track right if you if you think that way but uh yeah not I don’t think it would have changed much But like I said before the London it was it wasn’t an easy period. Yeah. The whole season was a little I was getting sick a lot overtraining probably in the back of my mind. Olympics are coming. You got to defend your title. Yeah. So there was one too many races I felt I was racing when I was sick. Yeah. Not just like sick but like even this one I had fever. Yeah. For like two days and day before. But again, those those couple days you can manage it because when your body is fighting sickness, it gives you that strength even though you feel like like crap, but you can you can you can make it happen. But after the race, dude, I honestly thought I’m going to I’m going to die. Yeah. I felt horrible. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s the the last video that we’re going to watch. This is actually Papendal 2016. If I’m not mistaken, this is your last World Cup win. Probably could be the last World Cup I did too. Will be twotime world champion Joris Day past world champion in the race format as well as time trial world champion. I thought that you were on lane eight because you already won pap from from lane eight. I think no, this was lane one. I think on this one I was playing it smart. bait event before. He would love to get on that podium. David Grab, third place at the World Championships last year. He wants to be back up there. He knows he can do it. So, here we go with the bait event for the elite man at stop number three of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup. Let the gate fall. They’re off to a clean start. Looks like Willoughby got the pop. Looks like Willoughby got the pop. Didn’t have the best gate. Few extra power pedals and he jumps into the first turn in first holding out DA. DA is in second. Oh, passes. Mars right clean. And then Graph into second place again. So, so one of those guys got tripped up and Graph is in second. Looks like Willoughby in third. So, Strobergs, it’s not over yet. Graph is smart down these down these straightaways and in the corners. Looks like Willoughby might be in a little bit of trouble with Mar the Magician fighting for third, but it’s going to be Stroberg’s graph and Ramirez edging out Willoughby again. Shifty shifty in those corners. He’s over the moon. He’s so happy. So, we’re done with with the videos. What do you want to tell us about this very last World Cup win? Uh this one felt I mean honestly even though I didn’t have a good gate in the final you know lane eight’s always lane lane one is always tricky right because it’s it’s lane one and all to me that’s why I like the lane six lane eight once in a while because it it keeps you locked in because you know you need the best out of yourself lane one a lot of times I felt like all I need is solid 90% right and when you when you when that thought creeps in your mind it’s so easy to the 90% drops to like 80% real quick. Yeah, the little bit at that moment you relax, right? And uh but I know this one honestly I won the I was I mean the lap times are good. I was winning most of the laps and uh I felt like if I mean we were on the right track to try to go for a three beat. That’s what that’s what I felt like. Yeah, I still got it. I can do it. And uh if the track was similar to Papadal, I think that’s what I was prepared for. Yeah. For Rio Olympics. But uh it was a little different. Yeah. Obviously, again, as you get older, you start blaming tracks and stuff, which which which I didn’t want to do. Yeah. But uh if I was younger, probably would have figured it out. Whatever the issues with the second jump and stuff, it was too small. I think you asked 90 95% of riders, they’ll agree. Talking about Rio, right? Rio Olympics. Yeah. Yeah. And uh and I always say cuz I think that was Olympics when they normally when they build the first straits, they they build the straits for guys and they try to make it work for girls. This was the first year they try to build it for girls and try to make it work for guys, right? And it’s it’s not the right recipe. Yeah. Yeah. again. But uh yeah, I mean nothing but good memories. What also your results in Rio? Quarters. Yeah, I was quarters. Yeah. But again, I was early in practice. I I pretty much told myself, yeah, I could have made it to semis. Yeah. And uh all I had to do is just get the fourth place in the I think the third run. And uh then halfway through the lap, I mean, it was right there cuz Grath, I think it was a clip that I I could have easily passed him, but I just not that I didn’t want it or I gave up, but I felt like even if I make it to tomorrow, I’m just risking getting hurt cuz I’m not I’m not winning this event. Yeah. Yeah. I’m not I can make it to the semi and just kind of halfass it, right? And then what happens when you do that? You get hurt. And uh so but you know I was I was obviously it sucked at first but uh it just wasn’t what we were preparing for. Put it that way. We put a lot of hard work in. We had this plan planned out. We were preparing for this kind of type of track and when we got there it just Yeah. was completely opposite. You caught me off guard and I could not recover. Yeah. Because on on paper physically, technically, mentally you were prepared. Oh yeah. We put a we we put a lot of work in before the Olympics and as far as the times and and even I had issues with the starting hill many years. Yeah. You know, I was only putting four cranks down the hill. So, we we we spend a lot of time get that extra crank in, you know, and then I was I developed a bad habit. Yeah. Obviously, and uh we put a lot of work in. We figured that out. It took it took a while. It wasn’t easy cuz you know when when you have those little things How did you work that back then? Well, because we had a track back home that we built ourselves. Yeah. The little the playground I call it, right? And uh then we obviously we changed the first rate a little bit and on the lane eight coach even when we he asphalted we made that triple step up turn it into a little tabletop. So whatever happens on the bottom if the pedals get stuck what I can still save it. Yeah. And I was just trying trying and it took a while. You just you know cuz you something’s up here. It’s deeper than just physically right and it’s really hard to overcome. me almost into psychologist if you put that way, right? But I didn’t believe didn’t believe in that back then. And uh it took it took a while. Yeah. But we we somehow got it figured out and uh and and that that alone cuz I didn’t have that figure out in Papa. Yeah. If you watch the Papa, I think I was still want to You got to watch the video. Yeah. But uh and uh it gave me that extra confidence. Yeah. I can I can pull it off. Yeah. That’s honestly what what kept me in the sport those four those four years. Yeah. Okay. And uh and that that’s why there’s a story. A lot of people don’t know why why my son is called Rio. Yeah. Okay. It started as a joke. Yeah. My wife was 6 months pregnant and uh we were eating pizza. I remember for lunch and I told her like, “Hey, we’re going to let’s name our son Rio. He’s going to be my third gold medal. There it is.” Yeah. So, you know, so I got the I got the full set. Yeah. So, I got my three gold medals. So, I’m good. You got the gold medal with your son. Yeah. That’s what I’m saying. Yeah. So, I’m I’m completely satisfied. Yeah. I got my three. How old were you at at Rio? 20. 29. 29. It’s very interesting because during this specific year, you try to almost rethink or relearn your way to to to to address um you know like those 8 m starting hill the number of cranks etc that that that you are able to to deliver. It’s very interesting because, you know, I would think that this is definitely not the kind of stuff that I would have personally changed because I would have, okay, I’m used to four cranks. I’m doing that for that long. Let’s stick to to it and I’ll find all the solutions in order to to get there. But yeah, but to me, I when I go back look at old videos, I I wasn’t doing it. This whole thing obviously the big effect what happened it started when I crashed in 2010 at the Grand When I jumped that double with the wrong foot. Okay. Right. And that and it left the mark of my whole career a little bit. Right. Because even though we kind of understood why it happened, but I couldn’t quite un understood why it happened like how my level it’s a basic second straight how maybe I was mentally tired, physically a little bit fatigued, but still though, but if it happen once and you don’t figure it out, that means it can happen again, right? And that those that little thought even though you don’t think about it but it’s it’s somewhere in here deep down and then I started developing some bad habits right you know the for next few years I was still I mean obviously physically I probably was you know better than anyone else. So I was I was able to get away with some little stuff here and there. Obviously the Sim is getting faster. Conor’s coming up. Jory’s getting faster. So then it gets a little bit trickier, you know, and I felt like if I want to get the third gold medal, I got to I got to figure this out. Yeah. I cannot just show up with the same same cuz Yeah. The competition is getting better. Yeah. Right. And uh and we we figured it out. We we figured it out. We did it. And uh just Yeah. It didn’t happen yet. But uh but again, you know, I I raced next year. We raced. We have a couple World Cups in Rockville. I won the first season in Oldswar. Yeah, I was killing it, pulling the supercross. So, you know, everything was still there. Yeah, I could physically do it, but just I didn’t have it mentally anymore where I was just like I just wanted to be there. I wanted to do it. I wanted to there was nothing that excited me anymore really. And that’s the that was the the spark was not there anymore. it used to to be I wasn’t enjoying the the process the the the whole the training the even though I was training and it felt like I was getting lazy or whatn not but uh I felt like everything I do was just there’s always expectation of okay result I need a title if I don’t get a title then you know what’s you know what what am I doing here right and then it kind of took maybe that a little bit of joy the fun out of it a little bit and And uh yeah, and like I said, you know, even my coach, we just sat down a few weeks ago. I was at his house, you know, we were having some whiskey and good old in good old talking about good old days and you know, we always had the could, should have, would have, maybe should have been this this, you know, but uh overall, yeah, we all pleased with what we achieved. Yeah. Going back to um 2008, you moved to to the US right after the Olympics. Uh 200 well the 2009 basically early so January was the first race little indoor. Yeah. And uh you know obviously being world champion, being Olympic champion, but coming from Lavia going straight away to the US, what was how did you how did you adapt properly? Was that quite difficult for for you at the beginning? Yes and no. Because obviously we always spend a lot of training. We did a lot of training camps in Florida since I was like 16, 17. So I was kind of a little more familiar with Florida, not so much with California. But uh it was always the dream. It was always the dream. Go go go go go live that dream in United States. Yeah. And at that time I feel like it was there. I don’t think it’s there at the moment. Yeah. Yeah. At the moment. That’s true. At the moment, if you ask me, I want to if it was up to me, I would love to get that’s why I said I would love to get involved involved and build that dream in Europe. I want that dream to be here. Yeah. That’s just my vision. Yeah. But uh and uh but again I mean it was great. It was great for me. I went it was all new. It was a great experience. I was all excited you know everything was new. Just whatever I went even it was funny story of me and my buddy Christopher we moved together. We discovered Starbucks. We had no idea what Starbucks is right. Which it’s funny right? It’s funny to think right now but we like I still remember how we sitting on the curb there. We like drinking this little Frappuccino whatever that was like this stuff is good. Yeah. Right. I mean but you know those little things though it’s just it’s funny to think about but just everything was so new and and I still remember the first race in Reno. Obviously it’s winter time. I don’t get to ride much after Olympics you know and stuff. I get sent some new bike. It’s way too small for me but whatever. I go to America. I got the first race Reno. The Holmes the manager. He got me on the team. So I was like, “Okay, so you machines coming to you from one bicycle to free agent straight away.” Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I just have one message for Dale Dale Holmes because he sent me a couple of pictures of you. Thank you very much, Dale. Um I was a big fan when I was younger. He’s also running his own uh podcast. Yeah. Yeah. BMX weekly. Have a look, guys. And uh thank you again, Dale. Yeah, he has a lot of good stuff to say about your podcast as well. And uh but what I remember Yeah. that the first race January obviously wasn’t you know how you come after the the winter break no big tracks and all that stuff I think quarters both days right and I mean Holmes I mean you got to ask him yourself but I I don’t I I saw in his eyes he questioned his decision a lot right dude these guys are like he tried to calm himself down it’s all good boys you know it’s just the first race yeah whatever but you know I was confident myself. It’s like, yeah, there’s no Yeah, I wasn’t I wasn’t going home. It’s like, hey, what if this, you know, whatever? I got to prove myself again. And then obviously next weekend was an outdoor race, backto-back wins, and obviously the rest is history. Yeah. But at first, I saw that in Dell’s eyes. Yeah. I I felt like he was questioning his decision a little bit. I don’t think he’s anymore. Yeah. NBL more than ABA. Yeah. I was always an NBL guy. People Yeah. Cuz growing up all the magazines, Randy, Kyle, I didn’t know much about ABA. Yeah, I know there’s another league, you know, that some guys race ABA, but to me it was all NBL was the coolest, more technical tracks. It was more the Florida vibe and that’s what I liked the most. So the first two years. Yeah. And also iconic tracks like Louisville. Yeah. Iconic tracks. And then and to me was that was the main goal. NBL. Yeah. We go race NBL all the races. And then ABA was just honestly the first I mean two or three years is just I went to race just to make extra money. Yeah. There was no idea. Oh there’s a title at this and that. It was just to make extra money. And even 2010 I almost won 2009 the title. Yeah. I went to the grand and I I mean I lost the title by this much. You got a video. Yeah. By the finish line. Yeah. I went from first to third. Yeah. We would the points are really close. Me, Randy, and Kyle. Yeah. Okay. Who won then? Randy. Uh yeah, Randy won, Kyle got second, and I got third. Yeah. Okay. But at the the finish line, I almost I think had to get Randy. Yeah. And dude, it was it was close. Yeah. Really close. And then I would have been first and then Kyle would have been third. It was it was really close. It was that close. Yeah. And uh and even the next year when I won the No, the I won the World’s World Cup, World Championship. No. Yeah. What else? What else? Yeah. NBL the three titles. Yeah. And then I was like, “Oh, but I’m leading the points in ABA. Let’s go. Let’s do it.” You know, it was a long season, but it’s like, “Yeah, let’s go for it. Whatever.” Yeah. And we pushed it probably too far cuz physically I was good, but I think mentally I was a little bit fatigued. Yeah. Yeah. You were drained. I was just relying on the my physical and ability and the talent a little bit when I just wasn’t quite there. Yeah. And that’s what showed. Yeah. First lap out of nowhere, two bike bike lengths ahead of everybody else just completely just overshoot the Wow. the double with the wrong foot. Yeah. Okay. And uh so you know sometimes you got to ground yourself. Yeah. So that was a good learning experience. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. What was the you know the the things that you had to to um to figure out moving from Europe to the US? Was that like a massive gap? things that you had to adjust, you know, straight away. Um, whether in terms of training, whether on adapting on the on the tracks and so on. What was the the the the main strers for for you? I mean, the the toughest toughest thing was probably just the lifestyle, you know, the the food, uh, you know, the obviously I didn’t have the car and, you know, and all that stuff when I moved there first, but that’s why cuz I stayed with the homes. Yeah. And then and the whole even coach said you’re not going there by yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Obviously he he has family home. He can’t come with me and stuff and that’s why Chris Conrad. Yeah. Obviously one of my closest friends still to this day and uh and he was racing a pro as well. Yeah. So he was still you know trying to push and live that dream as well. And obviously he got hurt later on that year and had to you know that dream kind of ended. He just couldn’t afford anymore. Yeah. And u but Dell Holmes helped a lot. Yeah. He showed everything all the the local restaurants, you know, the what’s what’s somewhat decent, you know, the groceries, kind of the the whole lifestyle about the America took me to these different tracks. So, it it it speed up the process a lot more. Yeah. If it was on my own, I would probably be, you know, it take me two years when it in this in this case, it took me like 6 months. Yeah. You know, so he was obviously a huge help. And uh but as far as tracks, I mean they were simple. Yeah, there’s, you know, one, two, three, and you just go full speed. Yeah, that’s it. There’s no no rocket science. In Europe, obviously the tracks are a little little trickier. There’s some gaps where you maybe sometimes you got to slow down actually a little bit. If you want to get the jump clean over there, you just full throttle. Yeah. All the way. Yeah. So, it wasn’t Yeah. It wasn’t that that hard. Yeah. So you know more adapting on your diet the lifestyle rather than you know the the your your training or anything else talking about you know the the the competitors over there. So you mentioned Randy Stanfauser Kyle Bennett. Who were they exactly? And and yeah I know that Randy I mean Randy was tough. Yeah Randy was tough. I mean he was he was older too at that time but uh because he won the title in 2009 and Bill Taylor I think that was your last title Randy no I won nine and 10 okay and then Randy might I think it was a champ maybe on 2008 okay yeah yeah I think so I think that that was the uh no yeah obviously I moved to the states thinking okay I mean Kyle obviously there Randy and those guys are fast. Yeah, those guys are fast. There was nothing nothing easy. Yeah, you know, and there was and then, you know, they they as as they were slowing down a little bit, I thought, okay, I can relax a little bit, right? I can relax, collect my wins and all that stuff. And boom, then Sam shows up, right? Which I mean, which is awesome. Yeah. For the sport, don’t get me wrong, cuz you got to you got to push the competition always, you know. And then and that’s why, as I mentioned before, Yeah. That’s why to me he was the my toughest rivalry I would say you know cuz he was the guy that I felt like he just never gave up. Yeah. Yeah. He could I could see maybe he’s you know he’s you know you can always see when somebody’s not racing as fast as maybe not feeling as good that weekend. But you can see he will always spend extra time warming up getting himself ready motivate whatever he whatever it took. Some days for me, I kind of like felt like some’s off. Sometimes I’m like, “Okay, I’m not going to push the, you know, push it too far. It’s all right, you know, go go home, regroup. There’s there’s more weekends.” Yeah. But Sam, I felt like he was always just trying to no matter what he was trying to win the race. Yeah. Despite Yeah. And that’s why to me, he was the toughest guy to race against. Yeah. Obviously there have been a lot of other fast guys, but on daily basis, tough guy to beat. Yeah. M sponsorship wise, the sport back then was very very US centered I would say. Have you ever felt that being European slash Latian compromise your chances of you know like earning bigger paychecks? Well, I mean that I’m sure a little bit. Yeah, it could have been, you know, obviously the first year when I first two years when I went there, I thought it would be better, right? He don’t get me wrong, it was good and he got better each year, right? But at first, you know, thinking winning Olympics, all right, I’m going to get all these emails now. Come on, come ride for us. Come ride for us. But no, it didn’t happen. Yeah. And then I’m I’m like I said, I’m fortunate. Yeah, Dale was from Europe and he saw he saw something that nobody else saw. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And uh so it it worked out. But uh but yeah, for sure. Yeah. Obviously I had a good deal really good deal with Free Agent. Yeah. I don’t think those those deals are around anymore unfortunately. And u I got a really obviously really good deal with Rockstar. And then and and I still remember to this day I even they said, “Yeah, it was it was a good deal, but he said it would have be it would be a better deal if you’re American.” Yeah. Right. Cuz I was It doesn’t happen often cuz I was sponsored by the American Rockstar. Yeah. Normally when you like the Red Bull and stuff and you are sponsored by them, you are sponsored by your own country. Red Bull France or Red Bull. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. and Red Bull Latia, the only thing they can give me is, you know, five cases a month in a hat, right? Because the Lat is so small, right? So to me, that wasn’t an option. Yeah. Cuz the country is so small. Yeah. And uh so I was obviously I was fortunate. Yeah. But like you said, it it probably could have been better. But again, there’s no like I was living the dream. Yeah. Like I always say, I bought my my first house in America. Yeah. My first car I bought in America. like a lot of these things that you know as a as a as a guy you know those are big milestones if you think about right like even as silly as it sounds buying a car right it’s but you cuz I remember I was younger I I was collecting my paycheck whatever the the European rounds and putting the money away you wanted you know there was a point you want to buy yourself a car right and uh it just kind of never happened yeah you know I was traveling a lot and this and then just then I wanted this car but didn’t have enough money, you know, and all that stuff. And then uh so all those milestones I did I I kind of reach living in the States. Yeah. So which you know and uh that’s why you know I honestly people always say are you going to move I ever move back to Lia right? And uh I never say no, but I I’m I’m I’m in a really good spot where I feel like when I when I’m in America, I feel like I’m at home. And when every time I travel back to Latia, they instantly as I land, I feel like I’m at home as well. Yeah. So I got two homes. Yeah. Which is which is a great thing. Yeah. So but you know, people always have just like when when you have a baby. Yeah. you just have a baby, they always ask you when is the other one when the other one coming like right leave me alone. We just said let me figure this out first. Right. So, uh but no, not like I said, yeah, great great memories and uh and fortunate still being living in the United States and with a family and uh yeah, just still I would say still in Madrid. That’s great. Very straightforward question for for you Maris. How do you make living now? Uh good. very straightforward question. Uh obviously I mean my I met my buddy as well Steve Maldi back back through BMX and obviously he did some real estate and all that stuff. So some of the money was invested over there. So uh you know and the the rent was coming in and all that stuff and you know it was good for a while and then but then obviously the last last year or so I decided just just wanted to do something on my own. Yeah, obviously it’s good to rely on something that’s there, but I wanted to do accomplish something myself again, you know, and that’s why that’s why right now obviously working on the machine brand. That’s one thing uh uh here and there I do the like they say the machine training tours and stuff, the coaching. It’s more of a just meeting the kids, passing on the the stuff that I’ve learned just make sure I, you know, to kind of motivate him, give him the little extra boost and and uh but again, the the Latian dad that lives in California, he kind of sucked me into BMX again, back into BMX. Yeah. And uh I started coaching his kid, the helmet, the little nine-year-old that won the Worlds this year as well in Copenhagen. And uh and he like I said, “Thanks to him.” Yeah, I guess he let me and we don’t we stick together. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, it was it was kind of random, but he he he kind of sucked me into BMX and that’s when I started noticing him more and more often at the track and you know what’s going on. But but here I am. Yeah. And I’m having a good time and so basically yeah, basically that’s that’s it. And I have a obviously the in Liby as well when you win Olympic games. Yeah. Whatever I whatever how many years 12 years after your last gold medal you get a you get a pension for life. Okay. Yeah. So that as well. Yeah. So that that one kicked in. So So yeah, life is great. Yeah. Life is life’s good. Life is good. Can’t complain. Yeah. That’s cool. And could always be better of course. But that’s what that’s why we’re here. That’s why we pushing. You played you you played smart. You mentioned that with you know all your uh investments that that you’ve made in real estate and so on. and you are yeah trying to to do things now and you know being being back into BMX being involved as well. So that’s very nice and patience is the key. Patience is the key cuz sometimes things they don’t happen as quick as we want you know and I’ll be the first one to admit but sometimes you got to stay patient. Yeah. You can’t force an issue and uh you want to get somewhere one day or achieve this you know whatever you got to have a little bit of patience too. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And you know with patience you can make as well you know like take your time to assess situations and then to make good decisions as well because Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When you’re stay calm cool, calm and collected. Yeah. Under pressure. Yeah. Definitely. My friend, we discussed about you know the the the Latin writers back then. For me, we call you the Lian commando. That was a true commando for us. What is your take and what are your thoughts on the French domination the last couple of years? I mean it’s it’s awesome. I mean Frenchies it’s not like you guys dominated before too. You guys were the first I think Europeans that also went to the states. Yeah. Christophal kind of took over. Yeah. The persons took over America, right? And uh No, it’s good for the sport. I mean, obviously you guys BMX has always been pretty big in France and uh welld deserved and it I the way I look at it, it should only push other countries to figure their stuff out ASAP, right? Yeah. Unless, you know, cuz I mean it’s it’s great to see five, six franches in a final, but I’m thinking other other big countries, they’re like, “Hey, you know, this is we got to do something about it, right?” Which is which is great. It’s a it’s a healthy competition. And that’s how I look at it. Yeah. But I mean, Pard right now is killing it. Yeah. So there’s always the so fast one generation as it, you know, kind of fades away, fades out, and then you feel like the right away, boom, you got the the next ones coming in and taking over right away. So which is which is awesome. Like in Latia, we can we Yeah. Can’t do that for us. Yeah. When I retired, we knew there’s going to be a gap. Yeah. So we still We got some good writers like writing in Junior Man. Yeah. No, we got the two kids. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, junior European champion and then the the U23 girl. But um obviously, you know, elite is a different beast. Yeah. To take the step into elite, it’s a that is remain to be seen. You know, if they can pull it off, but uh they got they got the skill, they got the I think the right mindset and it’s just Yeah, it’s obviously up to up to them and up to up to the coach. Yeah. So remain to be seen, but we’re not going to have five guys in the final. Yeah. Yeah. It’s I don’t think I wish. Yeah. Quality over quantity. Yeah. It’s a cycle anyway. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, but as far as the French domination, it’s Yeah. It’s awesome. It’s, you know, good for you guys and, you know, well, berserk. Okay. Last question for you, mate. What do you want people to remember about you? About Marristenberg the machine? Uh what I I mean what I want it’s honestly it’s whatever they want. You know it’s not I’m not here to tell them what how they should think or you know everyone’s going to have a different opinion. Good. Yeah. But uh yeah know you know I’m I’m past it. Yeah. you know, maybe when I was younger, I would try to kind of say some, but right now, you know, I did everything I could and I, you know, I never I never tried to burn any relationships. Even though maybe when I was racing, I don’t know the way you felt or other people, maybe I wasn’t the friendliest, what not, but I was never disrespectful, right? Yeah. Yeah. That that was never me. I stayed humble. I stayed in my my lane, my zone. I’m trying to focus on results and and that’s just that’s just who I was. Yeah. I was not the guy that wanted to go out party all together and you know this is true. Yeah. And then that’s why it was just it was funny to think that maybe I would have changed changed now. Who knows? But uh if I was I could never be best friends with somebody I got to get in the gate and and try to beat. Yeah. It just wasn’t me. I don’t know if the way I was raised or what not. It’s just maybe the old school thinking. Yeah. Can I still remember? It’s a funny story. Yeah. My my wife’s good friend, she met Mark Wheelers. Yeah. He’s a good guy. Yeah. Right. And then, you know, they kind of wanted to get together more often and hang out. It’s like, you know, I know. I know. You know, I like Mark. He’s a good dude and stuff, but I was like, you know, we we racing, you know, against each other. I’m not going to be hanging out and being best buddies with the guy. It’s just the way I was thinking. It’s funny now to think about it, but that’s just that’s just how it was. Yeah. And you know, and uh you were a true racer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was a true racer. It was on and off the track. It was it was all, you know, it’s all business. Yeah. You know, it’s just just how it is. This is my lifestyle. This is it. And obviously I I train with Lian guys. We race together, you know, Tmani. We did camps and even though we racing against each other, but we coming from the same country and those guys are still my friends to this day. And uh it’s a different bond. But as far as the from other countries, I kept the circle small. And I always tell kids, yeah, uh, three things. Yeah. They always like, what, you know, cuz I had when I retired, I had to think about, they were like, what? How did you get where you got, right? And I was like, I don’t know. I had to think about it, right? And then I and I came up with three things. Yeah. Which I think is really important. Yeah. And I feel like anyone that listening and young kids that uh the first one’s belief, right? And you got to believe in yourself. There is no there’s no other way around it. If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will. Yeah. Right. It starts with you and then you know it will attract the right people, right? To to help you and push you where you need to go. The second one obviously is work ethic. Without that obviously in the highest level business, sports, anything you do, it’s not going to happen. Yeah. Unless you win lottery. Unless you win lottery and even then you need work ethic. because you got to keep buying those tickets right there. So, uh, which includes, you know, obviously the you got to develop the good habits, you know, you got to show up on time, you know, even though for me when I when I was those values are important. It’s important. When I was when I had two gold medals, I still we went to Lapia or when we trained gym or whatever, I always show up early. And to me, if I see young kids coming after me or even five minutes late, I could not I could I could not stand that. Yeah. Not that I I didn’t say anything, but I was like, that’s not acceptable. Yeah. Right. It’s not acceptable. You should be always be showing up before me. I can be the one coming a plate and calling coach like I’ll be coming cancel the training or whatever. Yeah. So that’s work ethic. Yeah. It obviously includes a lot of little things. And third one, but um surround yourself with good people. It’s really important. Yeah. Surround yourself with good people. And I was fortunate enough Yeah. Obviously it starts with parents a lot of times. Yeah. My coach and uh couple really good friends. Yeah. Yeah. The ones that always they wanted best for me. Yeah. Even though Chris Conrad, we were riding bikes, you know, Ricard, we were competing against each other. But he genuinely I know that he wanted me to achieve you know the highest levels of the sport. Yeah. He he never wanted to hold me back or he’s like it’s a bina or whatever. Yeah. So it’s really important to have the good circle and what I always tell first second gold medal even to this day the circle hasn’t changed. It’s it’s just as small as it as it was before. It’s the same people and nothing ever changed. And that’s that’s important. So it’s as easy as one two three just like in the gate. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s it’s it’s very interesting this I mean this very small circle of people they are basically your bubble of security in a way that you know it’s like a [ __ ] like Yeah. No no no 100%. Yeah. Everyone can you know everyone else is going to be a little different but uh trust me after second especially second second gold medal. Yeah. when I got home all the I mean even the first one had all these interviews I was invited to the me and whatever Dancing with the Stars and all this stuff and you know you think it never I never wanted to do it. It was just not for me at first it kind of sounds great but this whole fame thing because I knew I’m all about the sports that’s just me. Yeah. I’m trying to you know say stay in your lane. Yeah. Dancing with the stars is great but it’s not. It takes away from racing. It’s a commitment, you know, it’s not a it’s not a simple thing and I just right away I just, you know, No. Yeah. Just it’s just Yeah. And even not now, but Yeah. Not Yeah. Not I don’t probably not ever. But uh and uh and right now it’s like I said, I had when I was 19, I had the time when I wanted to go out and party and all that stuff. And when I was racing, after I moved to America, it was almost impossible to get me out past midnight. Yeah. It’s just I just didn’t want to do it. Yeah. Like even after races, I know there’s always after parties and whatnot. I was at 10 11:00. I was really sound asleep and everyone else was when everyone else was drinking beer out of each other’s shoes and stuff, right? Right. Yeah. No, we had a couple of good parties. No, don’t get me wrong. They were I mean I’ I’ve been in some of them obviously, but it’s just not Yeah. Maybe a little too wild. Yeah. But I was more like, you know, it’s just I wanted Yeah. After the race, I just wanted to chill in the room. Yeah. Quiet. I didn’t want nothing. Yeah. You know, and that’s just that was just me. That was my way of So, right now, that’s why the machine is born. Yeah. We we about we want to we want to raise the next future machines. Yeah. you know, we want to leave the mark behind and uh hopefully hopefully we can make it happen too. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. It doesn’t end with me. Yeah. I want it to I want the journey and the the legacy to continue and I don’t want it to be about me, but about the next stars and personalities. Yeah. Cool. Maris, before we we end this uh this episode with you, the interview, I have one bonus question. Going back to London 2012, the race um obviously you won your second Olympic um gold medal over there, but you struggle a little bit within the quarters and then along you know like this was basically a two days competition but you slowly but surely you know like getting better and better. I’d like I’d like to to get your your thoughts on it because you know this is basically my favorite final and and gold medal that you won because you know you had guys like Sam who was in his prime. Um what is his name again? Liam Phillips was there. Um Connor was there. 21 gain. Yeah. I was going fast. Yeah, that was a hell of a lineup in the final. Yeah. Uh, how much time I got? There’s a lot to talk. Go ahead. No, I mean, of course. I mean, it’s that’s like I always say that’s watching the main event. It’s not that I sit at home and watch, but if it ever comes up somewhere, whatever. Still this to this day gives me goosebumps. Yeah. Yeah. And uh like I always say, it’s a lot harder to defend than to win your first one, right? It both are hard to do, right? But uh yeah, I mean it was tough. I mean, a lot of people don’t realize obviously the whole year Olympics coming around. You’re thinking to yourself, okay, you’re Olympic champ, four years, great. You know, how’s it going to be when you’re not Olympic champ? Right? It’s it’s funny to think about and silly but at the same time those those little thoughts they they somewhere in back of your mind right and uh leading up to Olympics you know we two weeks two weeks out yeah we training on the little playground back home you know solid track and got to do laps you know got to push ourselves still you know a little bit and then I was struggling not because I wasn’t fast or whatn not but because I didn’t want to get hurt okay I’m thinking okay if I crash you know, break my collarbone or whatever happens, the dream’s over. Yeah. So, you should not be thinking about it. But again, Olympics is a big thing. The whole country is behind you. Abra, everyone’s expecting, okay, this is our best chance to win a gold medal in the Olympics. So, you know, all that stuff. That’s why I said and it showed in the race. Yeah. You know, it’s not that I was physically unprepared. Mentally, I was I mean, prepared. It’s just when the Olympics came around, I felt like it was too soon. I need another give me another 3 weeks, right? Just give me 3 weeks. Yeah. Right. And um but I mean obviously I didn’t have them, so I had to figure figure my stuff out. And um and it showed in race. Yeah. The speed was there. Even in practice, speed was there, but uh the gates in the first gate just a little late, a little too quick hit the gate. timing is a little off and uh whatever qualified for the semi-final new day and I still remember the day before I tell everyone the story uh coach like okay let’s go outside grab your bike he he he grabs that little chalk whatever rocky he draws a big turn on the asphalt right just go slow just go do one high low now go inside out go kind of low low out whatever the the different lines. Yeah. Slow. It’s like, “Coach, what are you doing?” It’s like, “I’m try me going tomorrow trying to win the gold medal. You You’re teaching me some 5-year-old, you know, giving me some 5-year-old exercises, right?” But and then first lap, hit the gate a little bit, touch the gate, get cut off. I mean, I was probably dead last seventh, whatever. First turn, high low, boom, come up fourth, which which I normally don’t really do, right? It’s not I was like and then right away just right away as I come out of the turn it’s like you just the coach knows something right. It’s like I mean not that I didn’t know that but it it was crazy at the second second lap the same thing. Whatever I was somewhere in the pack I kind of did that you know I call the joris move. Yeah. Which is a great move and the turn kind of low low and then you come out in the end. Yeah. Come on third or whatever. I think I got third. I I already forgot. Yeah. Honestly. And um and that’s exactly what we did night before, right? And then the the third lap obviously I I couldn’t stay on the same same path. Obviously I had to win Olympics. So the third lap obviously I had a solid gate. I felt I had a whole shot. I should have won the lap which I you know I got second but I got that the the momentum going. Okay. This is it. This is this is me now. This is what I was supposed to do every lap. Yeah. M and then uh true story, you can call the guy asking the coach’s assistant. Yeah, you should get him on the camera asking the question, but uh before the main event when we when we were walking up, he asked me, he’s like, “Why you smiling?” I told him, “I got it. I got it. That’s it.” And I walked up and I won the lap and uh that’s a true story. I’m not trying Yeah. come up with anything. And uh there is no storytelling behind this is Yeah. And I told my I got it cuz it’s like It’s it’s hard to explain, but it’s just I felt like I had, you know, because I’ve been in that position obviously many times winning the laps and I know that what it what it feels like before or after. And this exactly what I felt like this is I’m I’m just unstoppable now. Yeah. Right. And then obviously you get in the gate, you still got to focus. Yeah. Right. You cannot be ahead of yourself. you you got to be locked in cuz once the gate dropped and I felt like the timing was it wasn’t maybe the greatest gate but it was definitely above average right it was a good solid gate and I knew that’s that’s all I needed and the boom and then it’s just yeah everything is obviously history yeah yeah when I’m thinking about this final I remember and this is something that we can see that we can see on videos as well but the eyes of evil and the the entire crew what made you the the most proud I mean you winning a gold medal or you know you and collectively being able to to get this medal I mean it’s combination of both yeah like I say it’s not every interview or even in LA I said yeah it’s not obviously I get put it this and that but I could not do it without by myself yeah there’s always a team no matter if it’s individual sport or team sport there’s always a group of people involved yeah I could not do it by myself and I always I always said that yeah I never forgot about my coach. We got therapists and you know that the same with my trais and vidi even though maybe they didn’t accomplish what they wanted to but we were all as a team. We were training together we were pushing each other and without them too I wouldn’t maybe push myself as hard you know the same. So, it’s obviously a team and uh yeah, I know that our second was definitely special the whole when we arrived back home. Yeah. You know, we got off the plane, there’s red carpet, kids waiting, there’s autographs, media pictures, then we get picked up on the bus, you know, driving through the RI, the capital city. There’s some It was late already. It was like 10:00. There’s some people waiting on the street waving. And then we driving to my hometown which is hour and a half away. So we get there at midnight. The whole I mean half the city is out waiting still. We get off the bus. I mean just I mean it was it was the coolest experience. Yeah. Ever. I mean that’s something I’ll cherish and remember forever. Yeah. Even though it’s not about the fame and whatnot, but the moment it was just, you know, you don’t you don’t get to experience it every day. So it was it was it was those moments with your It was it was awesome. and the family national behind you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was but I never forgot where I came from. Yeah. So it always like I always said the circle still to this day is the same. You know I enjoyed the fame. Everything’s good. But the next day you wake up you know you Yeah. It’s you got to move forward. Yeah. This is it. And that’s why some of the years the next year even when I raced in United States Yeah. the season started so quick. I feel like I just won Olympics and boom, I’m in the gate in Arizona. I got a target on my back, but I’m like again I give me I need like six months. I I couldn’t mentally just catch up. I just even though I raced to Europe that year, I won the European title but stuff but mentally I was just physically I was maybe there but mentally I was just three months behind. Yeah. Could not catch up the whole year. I couldn’t catch up. Yeah. I was still Yeah. Little behind which is normal. Which is which is normal. Yeah. Of course. Yeah. you know, you’re you’re a machine. Sometimes, you know, the machine needs to rest as well. And not only physically, but mentally because in order to to reconnect to realities, it takes time. This is a question I’ve asked to juris to Roma to Silic and Roman to reconnect after the Olympics. Not that much for Sil because you know he’s always you know after races and racing he wants to he wants to No I feel like S one of the few I want to talk to Sila obviously about it but he just Yeah seems like he just bleeds BMX. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He just Yeah. He wakes up to me. Like I said it wasn’t my I Yes. BMX but more you know like the the racing side of it. The racing maybe the action. Yeah. In general the everything. Yeah. to me was more yeah it wasn’t yeah I missed that obvious the feeling that the whole [ __ ] the gate and everything but but there’s al also risk and reward involved and I that the risk was sometimes a lot of times didn’t I I was it was a little bit up here higher than the the word at that time I felt like right and I couldn’t you have to keep find the right balance for me and towards as I get older you know the risk and word kind of the level kind of is not where needs to be and then it just gets a little more challenging and challenging just playing a catch-up all the time. Catchup, catchup and you’re trying to find those little goals, the motivation to push yourself, get there where you need to get and then you do it but you cannot do it consistently anymore, you know, and that’s just you got like you have little sparks moments. Yeah. And then that’s what I felt like and and towards then I like I didn’t want to that’s just didn’t want to race like that anymore. Yeah. Cool, Maris. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much for your time, for for everything, for all of those information, all of those anecdotes, insights. Um, I think it’s definitely definitely interesting, inspiring. So, thanks for that. One last word, something you would like to share, a topic you would like to cover. [Laughter] short one. No, dude. Yeah, of course. I mean, honestly. Yeah. No, thank you. Thanks for having me on the on the podcast. Yeah, I had a good time. Yeah, obviously bringing back a lot of good old memories and stuff. And uh I mean that’s that’s that’s pretty much it. I’m looking forward to go back home and play some golf. Honestly, I miss miss my morning rounds of golf. And uh so yeah, that’s it. That’s pretty much it. Cool, dude. Well, all the best follow all of your projects, the machine brand, but also all of the camps you’re doing with kids. Something that that I’m going to remember you want to, you know, the dream that we’ve got, you know, like Europeans like 10 years ago, even before that to go to to the you would like to bring back this kind of spark, but you know, in Europe, I wish you all all the best for for all of your projects. Once again, thank you very much, guys. That was episode seven. Cheers. Cheers, buddy. Cheers. Thank you. [Music]
5 Comments
Dommage que ce soit en anglais, sa avait l'air intéressant
The Machineeee 🔥
🇱🇻🔝🚲
Merci Momo et Maris pour ce podcast de foolliieeee 🤟🏻
Great interview, congrats to both of you!!