Vinny off to the Olympics!
BMX sensation Vincent Leygonie is aiming to fly the Krugersdorp and South African flag high at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Former Noordheuwel resident Vincent Leygonie along with his trustworthy BMX will proudly represent South Africa in the Olympic Games in Paris.
The biggest sporting event on the planet is scheduled to commence on July 26 until August 11.
Vincent said he started his BMX journey completely by accident when he bought his BMX bike intending to start bicycle trials, as the bikes looked similar.
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“As soon as the bike arrived I did a few tricks and was instantly hooked! My friends all got bikes and we pushed each other to be better and better. In 2023, we finally got the Cycling Federation to have the right people in charge of the freestyle BMX side. I then got the honour of being the first-ever South African champion which allowed me to go to the 2023 World Championships. This got me qualified for going to the Olympics! However, I had to go to an Olympic qualifier series in China and Budapest as well,” Vincent said.
Vincent continued that the feelings he was experiencing about going to the Olympics had not yet set in and that he had worked so hard for so long.
“I have sacrificed so much of my life. This is for Africa and a dream come true! I think the level of riding will be insane! I know all of us have been putting in so much work and that it’s going to be like watching someone spam all the buttons on a BMX video game. I think it’s going to be one of the most stressful and most rewarding experiences I’ll ever have,” Vincent added.
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When asked what he is going to do at the Olympics, he said that he is still waiting for the course to be revealed so that he can plan, but in the meantime, he is training as usual.
“I always believed that I could make it this far. I knew I could work harder than everyone around me, and have the most fun that I could achieve anything. I’m just lucky to have the support structure around me and have had the right opportunities come my way. I’d like to thank my family for supporting my crazy dreams and my sponsors for allowing me to do all of these things,” Vincent concluded.
