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Lake Forest, CA |
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8/22/2008 |
GT Bicycles is proud to announce that team rider Mike Day has won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing China! Teammate Jill Kintner, the sole American woman competing in BMX, won the bronze medal in the women’s race.
Santa Clarita, CA’s Day earned silver medal honors with his brilliant racing at the Laoshan BMX Complex tonight. Fighting his way through qualifiers, quarterfinals and semifinals amongst a field of 32 of the world’s best BMX Race competitors, Mike found himself among the top eight riders on the planet battling for a top three finish. Riding his GT Power Series Ultra Box with custom Team USA graphics, Mike had a strong start and it looked like he could break away from the pack right out of the gate. Facing stiff competition from Latvia’s Maris Stromberg, Mike’s unbelievable speed on the bike kept him in a significant second place position for the entire race, giving him an impressive silver medal victory.
“It was amazing! So much effort, time and training went into this and I can’t believe it is over,” said Day after his silver medal finish. “The experience is overwhelming and great for our sport.”
Seattle’s Kintner earned herself the well deserved bronze medal honors with her third place finish. After blazing her way through three rounds of competition, Jill had to battle seven of the world’s top riders, including Anne-Caroline Chausson and Laetitia le Courguille of France to take home a medal. Jill also rode a GT Power Series Ultra Box with custom Team USA graphics. In a particularly hard-fought race punctuated by three different crashes, including one that took out powerful British rider Shanaze Reade, Jill maintained her composure, avoided the wreckage, and pedaled through it to the bronze.
“It was like the seas had parted and there it is – go!” said Kintner. “On one knee, it’s been a crazy-ass year.”
Mike’s and Jill’s places on the podium are made even more memorable by the fact that this was the first time BMX Race has been included as an Olympic sport. With Mike’s silver and Jill’s bronze, each now holds a special place in both Olympic and BMX Race history. For more information on Mike or Jill or to request an interview or images, please contact one of the representatives above. For additional information on GT Bicycles and their quest to make Olympic history, please visit http://olympics.gtbicycles.com.
GT Bicycles is part of the Cannondale Sports Group Division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A).
About GT Bicycles
Built on its race-proven performance products, GT Bicycles has been designing technologically advanced bikes in the road, mountain and BMX categories since 1973. For more information about GT Bicycles, please visit www.gtbicycles.com.
About Dorel
Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Established in 1962, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company’s lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products. In the Juvenile segment, Dorel’s powerfully branded products such as Quinny, Maxi-Cosi, Safety 1st and Bébé Confort have shown the way to safety, originality and fashion. Similarly, its highly popular brands such as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose and SUGOi have made Dorel a principal player with both independent bicycle dealers and mass merchants. Dorel’s Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported. The Company exerts relentless innovation and marketing flair across all of its divisions. Dorel is a $2 billion company with forty-six hundred employees, facilities in seventeen countries, and sales worldwide.
US operations include Dorel Juvenile Group USA; the Cannondale Sports Group; Pacific Cycle; Ameriwood Industries which produces ready-to-assemble furniture; Altra Furniture; and Cosco Home & Office. In Canada, Dorel operates Dorel Distribution Canada, Dorel Home Products and SUGOI. Abroad, operations include Dorel Europe and IGC in Australia, a manufacturer and distributor of juvenile products. Dorel Asia sources and imports home furnishings products. Dorel China has eight offices which oversee the sourcing, engineering and logistics of the Company’s Asian supplier chain.
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