Six years out from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and AusCycling have partnered to create a BMX racing unit within the NSWIS Cycling Program in 2027, further strengthening support for NSW athletes and high performance coaches.
The BMX racing unit will be created as NSWIS continues to evolve its endurance program which will now include road, mountain bike cross-country Olympic (MTB XCO), track endurance and para cycling.
The new BMX racing unit will build on the gold medal-winning success of NSWIS-supported athlete Saya Sakakibara at the Paris 2024 Games, along with strong international results from NSW-based athletes including Oli Moran, Sienna Pal, and Jack Davis.
Jack Davis racing at the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane.
The formation of the BMX racing unit also reflects the strength of Australia’s BMX club culture and robust grassroots pathway, highlighted last May when more than 1,000 Australian riders qualified across multiple classes for the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane.
NSWIS Director, High Performance Anna Longman said the unit marks the next stage in the Institute’s partnership with AusCycling and reflects the program’s ongoing evolution.
"NSWIS is pleased to build on our partnership with AusCycling and expand support for categorised cycling athletes based in NSW," Longman said.
"As we progress, NSWIS will focus on employing, developing, and mentoring high performance coaches across endurance and BMX racing, helping Australian categorised cyclists in NSW continue to progress and perform."
NSWIS will now look to recruit coaches into roles for both endurance and BMX racing, noting ACT Academy of Sport (ACTAS) Endurance Head Coach Glenn Doney was seconded to lead NSWIS’s endurance program in an interim capacity during 2026.
“We also thank Glenn for his commitment to the NSWIS scholarship athletes during 2026,” Longman said.
“Glenn’s support and leadership has been invaluable.”
AusCycling and NSWIS have reviewed the partnership to identify new opportunities, including closer alignment with the Cycling National High Performance strategy and NSW.
Sienna Pal will be able to reap the rewards of added NSWIS support. (Navada Photography)
This includes focusing on specific strengths, providing even stronger support for categorised NSW athletes across priority cycling disciplines, and new high performance coaching roles which will be underpinned by a comprehensive mentorship program.
AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner said meaningful partnerships with organisations such as NSWIS would be crucial for the sport in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
"As we look towards 2032 and beyond, maximising impact through our partnerships with the National Institute Network has never been more important," she said.
"So, it’s exciting to see our partnership with NSWIS continuing to grow and evolve, through the introduction of a dedicated BMX racing program which will complement the already existing endurance program for track, road and mountain bike."
"The revised partnership will also strengthen the coaching pipeline in NSW, which is a key part of the athlete experience, and include a BMX racing coach role."
Athletes described the announcement of the BMX racing unit as a major boost for a sport that continues to grow in popularity.
2024 elite national champion Moran credited NSWIS’s daily performance environment for playing a vital role in his development.
"NSWIS support has been a huge part of my development," Moran said.
"The environment at the Institute’s gym is so cool to be a part of, training with some of the best athletes in Australia and from across so many disciplines."
Oli Moran in action in Sarrians during the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Cup season. (Navada Photography)
“Having support from the NSWIS staff across strength and conditioning, physio, sport psychology, and nutrition, all working together to help me achieve my goals, means so much to me. I’m very grateful to have it and wouldn’t be where I am today without them!”
MTB XCO athlete Sylvia Dagg, who recently returned from an AusCycling MTB Development Camp Canadian trip with three gold medals, was excited to learn that the services helping other athletes to succeed on the world stage are to be now available to her sport.
"Mountain biking becoming part of the NSWIS endurance program is extremely exciting," Dagg said.
"Being supported by high performance coaches in NSW, having access to the training facilities and being part of the NSWIS community is such an incredible opportunity! It's very inspiring to have seen other athletes be part of and benefit from NSWIS support, and exciting that mountain bikers can now take that next step too."
Feature picture: Getty Images