Jill Kintner is making some big changes in her life. Over the past five seasons, she has come to dominate the women’s World Cup four-cross scene and has won three World Championship titles, her most recent coming this summer in Scotland. But now, she’s chasing the Olympic dream and returning to her BMX roots.
Before converting to mountain bikes, Kintner had racked up more than 70 BMX wins and with that sport debuting in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Kintner couldn’t resist the opportunity to possibly add an Olympic medal to her impressive list of racing accomplishments. But in order to do so, the reigning four-cross World Champion will have to give up mountain biking for a season. We caught up with Kintner at the recent Atom Lab Super Session event in Southern California and talked about how her life’s about to change.
Bike: You won your third World Championship four-cross title this summer, what have you been up to since then?
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JK: Well, I’ve completely changed my life. I’ve moved and started just doing BMX full time. I just decided that I’m going to give it everything I have and put mountain biking on hold for a year. I want to give myself a new challenge and see what the whole Olympic thing is about. It’s a different experience that’s once in a lifetime really. It is the inaugural [Olympic] event for BMX so to be a part of that is pretty special.
Are you officially on the U.S. Olympic team?
JK: I’m not actually on it yet. We’re halfway through the points chase. In May or June we’ll find out.
How many women are going to be on the team?
JK: One for sure, and two if we get good team points.
Just like to the XC mountain biking situation?
JK: Right. Everyone is trying to get points so we can send two girls instead of just one. You have to be a top-five country to send two girls and the U.S. is in second or third right now, so hopefully we send two.
Who are your main competitors among US women?
JK: There are four girls that are really good: Kim Hiyashi, Arielle Martin and Amanda Geving are on the short list with me. It’s really exciting because the Olympics have caused girls to raise the bar a lot. There are probably 10 girls out there who are really fast so it’s a good challenge with a lot of competition. It’s not a sure thing at all.
You went to a BMX trial race in Beijing recently, how was that?
JK: Yeah, it was a pre-Olympic race.
And that was on the Olympic course. Are they going to change it at all between now and the Olympics?
JK: I don’t think so, I think they just close it down; they take down the start ramp so nobody can ride it.
Is it a good course?
JK: Yeah it’s really fun; it’s probably the best course ever.
The good thing about BMX is you can build a good course almost anywhere, all you need is dirt.
JK: Yeah that’s true, but it’s unreal what they’ve built. It’s all landscaped in red clay and asphalt turns. For preservation and speed.
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