Fire burning bright for Cullen after second Games as reserve

By Milly McEvoy, Sportsbeat

Ross Cullen was reserve rider in the BMX racing for a second time at Paris 2024 - and it has only made him hungrier for Olympic success.

The Preston rider has twice deputised for Kye Whyte, who won silver in Tokyo before crashing out in the French capital due to injury.

The 23-year-old admitted that his break from training after Paris has been short-lived and the goal still remains the same.

“I’ve been to Tokyo and to Paris as a reserve and let me tell you the fire is still burning,” Cullen said.

“LA is four years away and it is going to go like a flash. I’ve got my eyes on a big shiny medal this time round.

“Coming into Paris, was mixed emotions, I felt in great form, winning the Olympic test event, and medalling at World Cups.

“After Kye was named as main rider and I was reserve, the work wasn’t finished, you keep pushing up to the Olympics. I was proud of the form I turned up in, I felt in fantastic form, I had a great time out there in the practice sessions.

“Unfortunately, Kye crashed out and was carrying an injury, so it wasn’t meant to be this time. But as a squad it will make us stronger and it will keep us excited for what is to come in LA.

“I had nine days off and was already itching to get back to training so the four weeks I planned is already out the window. I go off want and there if a big fire lit in the stomach so the extra couple of weeks won’t do me any harm.”

Cullen was speaking at SportsAid Live, with the charity having supported him during his career, which has seen him crowned an age-grade world champion and he served as the flagbearer for the Olympic Youth Games in 2018.

He added: “If I look back, I attended my first SportsAid event in around 2013 and back then I had just won my first World Championships as an amateur.

“And even though I say that, me and my dad were quite new to the sporting world, so the advice we had from the SportsAid events such as nutrition, sleep, recovery, performance, media training, there is an abundance of work that I did with SportsAid.

“But I think the big thing is realising how special this group is. SportsAid have supported 1000s of athletes and you are very special to be one of those athletes.

“For athletes now, my advice is be grateful and work hard.”

SportsAid Live, hosted by Marsh McLennan, brought together over 40 athletes and their families, across more than 20 different sports, to meet each other and share their experiences and knowledge, while also benefitting from mentoring and valuable workshops in areas such as mind health, sleep, performance, wellbeing and building your brand.