Mike Day (cyclist)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Micheal Day |
| Born |
October 9, 1984 Tarzana, California, United States |
| Height | 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | GT Bicycles |
| Discipline | Bicycle Motocross (BMX) |
| Role | Racer |
| Rider type | Off Road |
| Amateur team(s) | |
| 1994-1999 | Answer |
| 1999-? | Sunland Cycles |
| 2002 | Staats Bicycles |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 2002-2006 | Staats Bicycles |
| 2007-Present | GT Bicycles |
|
Infobox last updated on September 18, 2008 | |
Micheal Day (born October 9, 1984 in Tarzana, California United States) is a professional American "Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years are from 2002–Present. His nickname is a play on a common phrase. Mike Day's official Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) number, which was originally assigned to him by the American Bicycle Association (ABA)[1] (not affiliated to the UCI), he requested for it from and is assigned it by the UCI for life regardless of how he does in a race season, is #365. With the exception of quadrennial leap years, that is the number of days in a calendar year. As a result, a play on his surname "365 Day" occurs from the common phrase "...365 days a year" (alternatively "..365 days per year"):
"When you turn pro, they always give you a number in the 300s," he said, "and with my name on the back, it said: 365 Day. Everyone talked about it, and I said, ‘That's it. That's going to be my number.' I'll pretty much wear it till I'm done racing."[2]
On June 14, 2008 Mike Day won a place on the USA BMX Olympic Team by winning the Team Trial at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. This team will represent the USA in the first ever BMX racing competition in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China with Teammates Kyle Bennett, Donny Robinson, and Jill Kintner. As of August 20, he has made the Semi Finals in the 2008 Summer Olympics, winning both the Seeding Run time trials and was the overall winning of the three runnings of his Quarter Finals, sweeping all three. On August 22, Mike Day won the Silver medal in the Men's BMX Final at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Since the Men's Final was raced after the Women's Final in the sport's debut games, he is the second American ever to win a medal. However, he is also the highest placing. His teammates Jill Kintner and Donny Robinson both won Bronze medals. Kyle Bennett did not qualify for the Finals. Maris Strombergs of Latvia was the winner of the Gold medal.
Racing career
Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.
| Milestone | Event Details |
|---|---|
| Started racing: | On October 9, 1993 on his ninth birthday at the Valencia Raceway, in Valencia, California.[3] He followed his older brother around on his rides so his father decided to take him to a race.[4] |
| Sanctioning body: | American Bicycle Association (ABA) |
| First race bike: | GT Interceptor[5] |
| First race result: | |
| First win (local): | |
| First sponsor: | |
| First national win: | |
| Turned professional: | April 2002 at 17 years old. |
| First professional race result: | "See First Junior Men/pro race result" |
| First professional win: | See "First Junior Men/pro win |
| First Junior Men/pro* race result: | Second in "A" pro at the American Bicycle Association (ABA) Winter Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona on April 6, 2002.[6] |
| First Junior Men/pro win: | In "A" pro at the National Bicycle League (NBL) Golden State National in Prunedale, California on May 5, 2002 (Day 1) He also won on Day 2 the next day.[7] |
| First Senior pro/Elite Men** race result: | Sixth place in "AA" Pro at the ABA Fall Nationals in Del Mar, California on October 26, 2002.[8] |
| First Senior pro/Elite Men win: | In "AA" Pro at the ABA World Championship in Ontario, California on July 23, 2005 (Day2)[9] It took Day three years to obtain his first Senior pro win.[10] |
| Height and weight at height of his career (2000–Present): | Ht:6'3" Wt:185-205 lbs.[11][12] |
| Retired | Still Active |
*In the NBL "B" Pro/Super Class/"A" Pro/Junior Elite Men depending on the era; in the ABA it is "A" Pro.
**In the NBL it was/is "A" Pro/All Pros/"AA" Pro/Elite Men; in the ABA it is "AA" Pro.
Career factory and major bike shop sponsors
Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are used.
Amateur/Junior Men
- Answer Products, Inc.: 1994-through 1999
- Sunland Cycles: 1999-?
- Staats Bicycles/Fly Racing: 2002-December 2006. He would turn pro with this sponsor.
Professional/Elite Men
- Staats Bicycles/Fly Racing: 2002-December 2006
- GT (Gary Turner) Bicycles/Red Bull January 1, 2007–Present. His first race with GT was the ABA Silverdollar National in Reno, Nevada on January 6, 2007[13]
Career bicycle motocross titles
Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. Only sanctioning bodies that existed during the racer's career(s) are listed. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles.
Amateur/Junior Men
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1994 9 Expert US Open West Champion
- 1996 11 Boys and 11 Cruiser World Cup Champion (double)
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
*See note in professional section
Professional/Elite Men
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- 2005 Elite Men National Elite Champion
- 2005 National No.1 Pro
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 2002 "A" Pro Redline Cup West Champion
- 2005 "AA" Pro 2nd place World Champion
ESPN Extreme (X) Games
- 2003 Pro Bronze Medalist (Dirt Jumping)
- Won the Olympic Team Trials at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California on June 14, 2008. He had taken the qualifying event in 1-2-1 fashion with the final moto canceled due to the mathematical impossibility of anyone to catch him in points. Therefore it was reasoned that it would be too much of a risk for racers with no hope of making the team crashing into the winner who had made the team. Day finished with 32 points. This victory automatically slotted him onto the United States BMX Olympic team with Kyle Bennett and Jill Kintner. Later, the second place competitor, Donny Robinson (21 points) was selected by Mike King on June 24, 2008 for the fourth and final Team berth. In the individual time trial held earlier in the day Day's winning time was 36.60 seconds. Day had trained for six months straight ever since the Olympic Training Center track, a $500,000 USA Cycling and United States Olympic Committee funded exact duplicate of the BMX competition track in Beijing, China was built in January by Tom Ritzenthaler.[14] He had moved into the facilities dormitories in January and opted out of competing in the UCI BMX World Championships in Beijing, China which were held two weeks prior.[15]
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- 2004 Elite Men Silver Medal World Cup Champion
- 2005 Elite Men Silver Medal World Champion
- 2006 Elite Men Bronze Medal World Champion
- 2007 Elite Men Supercross World Cup Champion
*Note: Beginning in 1991 the IBMXF and FIAC had been holding joint World Championship events as a transitional phase in merging which began in earnest in 1993. Beginning with the 1996 season the IBMXF and FIAC completed the merger and both ceased to exist as independent entities being integrated into the UCI. Beginning with the 1997 World Championships held in Brighton, England the UCI would officially hold and sanction BMX World Championships and with it inherited all precedents, records, streaks, etc. from both the IBMXF and FIAC.
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- Games of the XXIX Olympiad (2008 Summer Olympics)
- USA BMX Teammates: Kyle Bennett, Donny Robinson, Jill Kintner
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  United States
| ||
| BMX | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2008 Beijing | Men's BMX |
- Discipline: Men's BMX
- Location: Laoshan BMX Field Beijing, China
- Number of competitors: 32
- Positions:
- Event Results Wednesday August 20
- Men's First Seeding Run‡: 36.127secs
- Men's Second Seeding Run: 35.692secs
- Seconds behind leader: 0.000 (First place)
- Seeding Run leader: Mike Day United States
- Day advances to Quarterfinals†
- Men's Quarter Finals (Overall after three motos Run 1): First place; Qualifies for Semi Final
- Event Results Thursday August 21
- Postponed due to rain. Rescheduled.
- Event Results Friday August 22
- Men's Semi Finals (Overall after three motos Run 1*):
First Place; Qualifies for Finals. - Men's Final (Medal Round; one run of Main**): Second Place. Silver medal.
- Bronze medal winner: Donny Robinson United States
- Gold medal winner: Māris Štrombergs
Latvia
Independent Pro Series Championships and Invitational Races
- 2004 RM59 Tropical BMX Challenge Pro Champion
The Robbie Miranda 59 (RM59) Tropical BMX Challenge is an Invitational BMX exhibition race created and promoted by professional BMX racer Robbie Miranda (whose father is Puerto Rican[16]) in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. It is sanctioned by the Puerto Rican BMX Association (PRBMXA) for the local amateur racers who come out to race and see the BMX stars they only see in the BMX Press since no nationals are held by any major sanctioning body in Puerto Rico.
Notable accolades
- Day is a 2005 NORA Cup winner.[17]
- Day is a 2008 ABA Golden Crank winner for Pro of the Year.
BMX product lines
- Fly Racing Mike Day Cruiser Handlebars.
- Fly Racing Mike Day Pro Handlebars.
- Fly Yo Moma Bars
Still images
Current image of Mike Day
Current image of Mike Day
Current image of Mike Day
Significant injuries
- None. Unusually, compared to other top professional racers, Mike Day hasn't had any serious injuries caused by BMX racing.
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Whats Up with Mike Day" BMX Plus! September 2005, Vol.28 No.9 pg.9
- "#1 on #1" BMX Plus! June 2006 Vol.29 Nol.6 pg.68 Mike Day and Bubba Harris interview each other
BMX magazine covers
Note: Only magazines that were in publication at the time of the racer's career(s) are listed unless specifically noted.
BMX Plus!:
- June 1997 Vol.20 No.6 in bottom insert. In top insert Dave Volker. In main image Brian Schmith (4) and Scott Yoquelet (23).
Ride BMX Magazine:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
- January 2005 Vol.12 Iss.1 No.99 This was the very last issue of Transworld BMX published.
BMX World
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (the official NBL membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (the official ABA membership publication under three names):
References
- ↑ nbl.org profile
- ↑ teamusa.org article
- ↑ "Meet the Elite Men" section
- ↑ bmxnews.com January 22, 2007 interview
- ↑ bmx.transworld.net January 25, 2007 article.
- ↑ Transworld BMX August 2002 Vol.9 Iss.8 No.70 pg.29 (photo caption)
- ↑ Transworld BMX September 2002 Vol.9 Iss.9 No.71 pg.75 (photo caption)
- ↑ Moto Mag November/December 2002 Vol.1 No.2 pg.14
- ↑ ABA 2005 World Champion results (Day 1)
- ↑ September 8, 2005 article
- ↑ RideBMX Magazine January 25, 2007 interview
- ↑ Expn.go.com 2003 bio
- ↑ fatbmx.com article
- ↑ usatoday.com June 14, 2008
- ↑ June 15, 2008 Union Trib article
- ↑ Moto Mag January/February 2004 Vol.3 No.1 pg.20
- ↑ NBL website Profile.
External links
- The American Bicycle Association (ABA) Website.
- The National Bicycle League (NBL) Website.
- Expn.go.com 2003 bio
- Transworld.net March 12, 2004 interview
- teamusa.org article.