A flowing mullet and a whole lot of hard work might just be the secret to Olympic gold.
BMX freestyler Kieran Reilly secured European, world and national titles last year all with a brand new barnet - and wants another gold in Paris to complete the set. The 22-year-old from Gateshead, who famously pulled off the world’s first gravity defying triple flair, might have a haircut that's 'party in the back' but he's all business on the bike.
“Before the European Games I couldn’t get in with my barber,” said Reilly. “So, I went to a different place and he gave me a taper with no fade – he pretty much gave me a mullet by accident.
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“I got some stick from the team the whole week and then I won Euros and I was like ‘alright, almost out of spite, I’m keeping this now’. Then I won Worlds with the mullet, and I was like this is it. This is my good luck charm now, so I’ve said since I’m keeping it until Paris. I'll see if it’ll do me the gold there as well!”
BMX freestyle, a sport where expression and creativity are rewarded, made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 with Team GB’s Charlotte Worthington taking the first-ever women’s title and Declan Brooks winning silver in the men's event. But the Games were a long way from Reilly's plans when he started out practicing at the local skatepark with his friends.
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“When I was a kid, it was all about riding around on your bike, that’s all we did,” added Reilly, speaking as an ambassador for Aldi’s ‘Get Set to Eat Fresh’ campaign which aims to help children aged five to 14 develop the skills required to cook nutritious, affordable meals.
“I loved it so much that I was trying to spend every waking moment at the park and it just spiralled from there. The progression [of the sport] has sped up because we’ve got better facilities, better riders and a bigger scene.
“Riders are becoming athletes as well now which wasn’t really a thing. When I was growing up I was almost in denial about it. Now the people who are at the top of this game are dedicated off the bike as much as they are on and they’re the people who are going to get the best results.”
Reilly’s incredible form has solidified his status as the one to beat in Paris, though the Geordie will first need to seal his place through two qualification events in Shanghai and Budapest in May and June. But he isn’t shying away from his ultimate goal of a gold medal in Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines.
“It’s all I’ve thought about for the last three years. I’m pretty set on gold,” he said. "It's once every four years, the Olympics is an event where you don’t often remember someone who got fourth place.
“We’ve got 12 riders there and I’m not trying to be anywhere between 12 and four, I really want to get a medal. I’ve built confidence this last year with my performances so I’m aiming to stand on the podium, more specifically at the top.”
Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024
