The Union Cycliste Internationale –UCI– World Cycling Centre, located in Aigle (Switzerland), hosted the Swiss National Championships and an international C1 event over four days, both serving as the setting for the training and final examination of nine aspiring international judges.
Coming from Brazil, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, and the Czech Republic, the participants received both theoretical and practical instruction before taking a written exam, an oral exam, and finally an on-site assessment. According to the UCI, successful candidates will join the pool of judges who officiate at competitions such as the UCI Urban Cycling World Championships, the Olympic Games, and the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup.
Training for a growing sport
The global rise of BMX Freestyle Park and the increasing number of events included in the UCI international calendar make it necessary to expand the pool of judges qualified to evaluate the high technical level displayed by athletes. Most of the course attendees already had experience as national judges or riders, which strengthens their ability to perform this role.
The Swiss National Championships were held on Friday, 8 August, followed by the international C1 event on Saturday. Both competitions served as practice for the aspiring judges to apply their newly acquired knowledge under the supervision of two experts who led the training.
Aigle results in women’s and men’s categories
In the women’s C1 event, German national champion Kim Lea Müller claimed victory ahead of Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Nikita Ducarroz, who had secured her sixth Swiss title in Aigle the day before. Third place went to Michelle Neuner, Swiss national vice-champion.
The event featured Olympic medallists and national champions, all delivering a high competitive standard throughout the day in Aigle.
In the men’s competition, Germany’s national bronze medallist Dean Florian took first place ahead of Russian rider Nikita Fominov (AIN) and fellow German Lars Kindermann, who finished third. Swiss national champion Edgar Huber placed eighth.
The C1 event in Aigle formed part of the practical activities for the international judges’ course and provided a real competition environment in which participants could be assessed.
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