Logan Martin shelled out $70,000 on a backyard skate park and endured a few neigbourhood disputes along the way, but the unusual strategy paid off with a historic gold medal on Sunday.
Martin won the first men’s BMX freestyle competition, securing it with his first of two runs, which he described as a “safety run” – designed to put up a score to insure against a second round failure.
In the end his first attempt was better than another rider in their two combined and he got to savour a victory lap, where he busted out an extraordinary trick before it came to a premature end.
Martin is a poster boy for the worth of preparation.
With the closure of an indoor BMX park in Coomera, near his home on the Gold Coast, Martin decided he would have to move overseas, or build his own in his back yard.
He did the latter, to the same dimensions of the Ariake Skate Park where he entered history on Sunday.
It cost him $70,000 and some of his neighbours weren’t too happy about it.
His instagram posts show the incredible scale of his set up.
“We didn’t have any training facilities around my area, so it was either build my own facility if I wanted to stay on the Gold Coast or move overseas,” he said after winning gold.
“I bought a property with enough land and I did just that – I built my own skatepark.
“A few of my neighbours weren’t too keen on the idea. It obviously paid off, and I hope they see that it paid off, too.”
“I’ve had to build this because there’s not so much for me to practice on around the Gold Coast and around Brisbane,” he said.
After his first run, told the cameras, “I’ve got more,” and he was true to his word with a front bike flip that defied gravity and commonsense.
“I came out here to be the gold medal,” he said. “I came into the final with all the pressure in the world on me and I overcome that and I managed to win the event off my first run. I honestly can’t believe it.
“I’m so stoked. Today, that was my safety run and I got it at 93.30. I didn’t even bring out my big tricks, which is crazy to think. Anyone who has seen me ride knows I have a lot more.
“I did do the front bike flip in my second run. I wanted to do one. I love that trick. It is a crowd pleaser as well. I wanted to show all the guys back home what BMX is about and to win the event off my safety run is crazy. ”
LeBron James is going back to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years. Steph Curry is headed to the games for the…
Olyroos coach Tony Vidmar is refusing to put a line through Nestory Irankunda's hopes of playing at the Paris Olympics after claiming he is…
The 2023-24 NBA season promised so much for the Australian contingent - for a few it’s been the ideal runway to the Paris Olympics…
Basketball superstar Lauren Jackson has been included in the extended Opals squad for the Paris Olympics, despite announcing her retirement from the international scene.…
The Brisbane Olympics stadiums fiasco has had wild twists and turns in just the last few days, but we still might not have seen…
Olympic swimming legend and Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins has warned that "someone will die" if a multi-sport event that allows athletes to…
