Jolly named state’s top young athlete

STAR BMX racer Josh Jolly’s USA Pro Series campaign is off to a flying start.

Competing in the top-tier pro men’s class, the 19-year-old is sitting second in the rankings behind 2024 US Olympian Cameron Wood.

Fifty-five points separates the leading pair in the standings, with Wood 45 points clear of the current third-placed rider Kamren Larsen.

Back on home soil last week, Jolly – the reigning men’s junior elite world champion and Australian national champion – added another honour to his growing list of accolades as the winner of the Young Athlete of the Year at the Victorian Sport Awards.

“It means a lot to me as I have pride representing Victoria while racing overseas,” he said.

“Knowing I can match it with the best in the world is a great achievement.”

The award was recognition for a stellar 2024 that Jolly – who has been racing for nearly 16 years – acknowledged as crucial in further forging his reputation on the international stage.

Competing in World Cup events for the first time, Jolly finished on the podium twice in six rounds.

“Winning the junior elite world championship was a great thing to achieve,” Jolly said from Port Macquarie, where he was competing in a world pump track qualifier last weekend.

“All these events were on the eight-metre-high starting ramps, which has given me a lot of confidence, moving into the higher elite categories.”

The winner of last weekend’s qualifier earned a fully-paid trip to compete at the UCI Pump Track World Championships in Switzerland this September.

As he chases down his dream of establishing himself among the world’s elite in his sport and representing Australia at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Jolly is eyeing off events across the world.

He plans to race in this year’s 23-and-under men’s class UCI World Cup events and is a confirmed starter for the BMX World Championships in Denmark on 2 August.

Jolly has also been invited to compete in a Crankworx event this weekend in Cairns, where he will compete in the pump track, dual slalom and a new event called full tilt.

He will soon resume his pursuit of winning the title of No.1 USA pro in what his rookie year.

Jolly’s Junior Athlete of the Year win made it back-to-back wins for the BMX fraternity.

Geelong teenager Cameron Grant won the award in 2023.

A long and illustrious list of previous winners includes Formula 1 star Oscar Piastri (2021), Olympic swimming gold medallist Mack Horton (2013) and Test cricketer Meg Lanning (2012).