August 14, 2006 (Ottawa) — Jordan Hulme, riding on a borrowed bike, led the Kingston BMX Club to a medal sweep in the boys 16 and over category Thursday in BMX cycling as competition got underway at the 19th Ontario Summer Games.

BMX cycling is an action-packed sport based on motorcycle cross racing with riders competing head-on on a dirt track packed with bumps, hills and sharp turns. BMX is slated to make its Olympic debut at the Beijing Games in two years, and if the Ontario Games are any indication there’s no shortage of talent and interest in Canada.

It took Hulme about 45 seconds to complete the race but with the amount of energy, strength and stamina expended, Hulme was as exhausted as a marathon runner at the finish line. Hulme edged out Andrew Harper in second and Chris Hounsome, in third.

”I was trying to get through the first corner which is the toughest part of the race,” said Hulme, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student, whose regular BMX bike is currently being repaired. ”I knew Andrew Harper would be right behind me but I was able to push it right to the end.

It was Hounsome who lent his bike to Hulme. BMX cycling involves bikes with smaller wheels and lighter frames than mountain bikes, making them easier to manipulate.

”I just love the intensity of this sport,” said Hulme. ”From the moment I started at age seven I was hooked.”

In the 15-year-old final, Kyle Pearson of Milton took the gold with Simon Lessard of Ottawa second and Eric York of Milton third.

In the 14-year-old final, Kyle Lourenssen of Port Elgin who posted the fastest starts of the day was the winner while Chance Herrington of Kingston took the 13-year-old final and Jayson MacKinnon of Milton edged out a charging Corey Walsh of Milton by a tire thread in the closest final of the day in the 12-year-old group.

Over in mountain biking at Camp Fortune, Hardwood Hills Club teams from Oro took the top two spots in the men’s relay with a Durham/Uxbridge combo team third.

Note: the BMX cycling competition at the Games was dedicated to Tim DaSilva of Milton, an Olympic hopeful, who was planning to compete here. He died accidentally on July 15 while working on a track he had built himself in Halton Hills. He was only 20-years-old.