New BMX facility at Stromlo set to open in time for ACT Jam

The ACT government announced a $70,000 investment to establish a venue catering for beginners through to elite athletes.

The facility will provide Canberra cyclists with the opportunity to train on state-of-the-art equipment and compete against the world's best in their own backyard.

Currently, BMX riders must leave the ACT if they want to pursue their sporting dreams. Teenager Sarah Nicki, who competed at the world championships on Sunday, moved to the Gold Coast earlier this year due to the lack of facilities in Canberra.

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The new facility at Stromlo will rectify that issue, while also ensure the city has a venue capable of hosting elite competition.

The first such event will be the 2023 ACT Jam, with Special Minister of State Chris Steel declaring the government is open to investigating further investment to attract a World Cup round to the capital.

"A lot of work has to happen really quickly to get the facility up and running before November's ACT Jam," Steel said. "I'm really confident that working with freestyle BMX we can get this work occurring.

"There are big plans for Stromlo Forest Park including a possible hotel in the future and for recreational facilities so we can attract those larger events here. Further work will be required to expand on stage one in the future and the government's certainly keen to work with Freestyle ACT on those future projects."

Popularity in BMX freestyle has grown significantly since it was introduced to the Olympics in 2019, the growth further accelerated when Logan Martin won gold in Tokyo. The Queenslander added a world championships silver medal to his collection in Glasgow on Monday night.

Infrastructure investment, however, has not kept pace with the demand for facilities and there are limited opportunities for emerging riders to train in Canberra.

Tyson Peni coached Nicki prior to her move north and said the new park at Stromlo guarantees a permanent facility and will help bridge the gap between beginners and elite competition.

"Every year we have the world's best riders come [to Canberra for ACT Jam]," Peni said. "To be able to unveil a brand new facility and then have the world's best riders on that facility will be just as powerful as watching the Olympics on TV.

"Kids are going to be able to rub shoulders with the best of the best riding and doing the best tricks."

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