Niek Kimmann (born 20 May 1996 in Lutten){{cite web |author= |url=http://www.the-sports.org/niek-kimmann-bmx-cycling-spf279878.html |title=BMX Cycling - Niek KIMMANN |language= |publisher=The Sports.org |date= |accessdate=20 February 2016}} is a Dutch BMX racing cyclist. Kimmann is the reigning Olympic Champion BMX Racing, a three-time World Champion, one-time European Champion, three-time Dutch Champion, and two-time World Cup Supercross winner. He is also a two-time junior World Champion.

Career

Kimmann, born in Lutten.,{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.sportsspeakers.nl/spreker/niek-kimmann/ |title=Niek Kimmann - Olympisch BMX rijder |language=Dutch |publisher=Sportsspeakers.nl |date= |accessdate=20 February 2016}} started BMXing at age seven, after attending a classmate's BMX training.{{cite web |author=Job van Gasselt |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/07/22/verliefd-op-hard-fietsen-a3967905 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503133431/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/07/22/verliefd-op-hard-fietsen-a3967905 |title=Na de bijna-dood van zijn BMX-vriend ging hij weer presteren |publisher=NRC Handelsblad |date=22 July 2019 |archive-date=3 May 2020}} At age 15, he joined the Dutch National Team at the Olympic Training Center in Papendal.

During the 2014 UCI BMX World Championships, Kimmann won the Junior World Title in both racing and time trial.{{cite news |url=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2015/07/25/nederlander-19-wereldkampioen-bmx/ |title=Nederlander Niek Kimmann (19) wereldkampioen BMX |language=Dutch |newspaper=NRC Handelsblad |date=25 July 2015 |accessdate=25 July 2015}} In August 2014, together with Wiebe Scholten, he won a bronze medal in the team boys event at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.{{cite web |author=Sander Slager |url=http://www.wielerrevue.nl/2014/08/22/brons-voor-kimman-en-scholten-bij-jeugd-olympische-spelen/ |title=Brons voor Kimman en Scholten bij Jeugd Olympische Spelen |language=Dutch |publisher=Wielerrevue |date=22 August 2014 |accessdate=14 August 2015}}

He started racing in Elite in 2015. At Papendal, he won his first World Cup race and at the UCI BMX World Championships in Zolder, Belgium, Kimmann became World Champion at age 19.{{cite web |author= |url=http://nos.nl/artikel/2048843-kimman-verrast-met-goud-op-wk-bmx.html |title=Nederlander Kimmann verrast met goud op WK BMX |language=Dutch |publisher=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting |date=25 July 2015 |accessdate=25 July 2015}} One day earlier, he won a silver medal in time trial.{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.rtvoost.mobi/nieuws/nieuwsitem.aspx?nid=222763&cat=313&mcats=1 |title=Zilver BMX'er Niek Kimmann uit Lutten op de tijdrit bij WK |language=Dutch |publisher=RTV Oost |date=24 July 2015 |accessdate=25 July 2015}} Kimmann became the second Dutch BMX World Champion, after Robert de Wilde, who won in 1999.{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.nu.nl/sport-overig/4095153/kimmann-verovert-als-tweede-nederlander-wereldtitel-bmx.html |title=Kimmann verovert als tweede Nederlander wereldtitel BMX |language=Dutch |publisher=NU.nl |date=25 July 2015 |accessdate=25 July 2015}} As a reward for this season, Kimmann was one of the three nominees for Dutch Sportsman of the year, which was eventually won by short track speed skater Sjinkie Knegt.

In 2016, Kimmann finished 2nd, behind Joris Daudet at World Championships in Medellín. A day earlier, he won the time trail, which meant he is the last World Champion in this discipline. At the 2016 Olympics he finished seventh.{{cite web |author=Walter van Zoeren |url=https://www.destentor.nl/hardenberg/bmx-broertjes-kimmann-delen-dezelfde-passie-en-stacaravan~a99d8abb/ |title=BMX-broertjes Kimmann delen dezelfde passie én stacaravan |language=Dutch |publisher=de Stentor |date=7 July 2019 |accessdate=3 May 2020}} He fell in the quarter finals, injuring his ankle ligament and a metatarsal bone. He had to recover from his injuries between August 2016 and February 2017. The serious crash of his friend and fellow BMX-cyclist Jelle van Gorkom in January 2018 while the two were training made deep impact on him.

In 2018 Kimmann won the Supercross World Cup, with four wins - and had to withdraw from the 2018 UCI BMX World Championships due to cramps. A year later he won the 2019 European BMX Championships.{{cite web |author= |url=https://nos.nl/collectie/13840/artikel/2327699-bmx-broers-kimmann-maken-het-beste-van-de-situatie-in-eigen-hal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503133111/https://nos.nl/collectie/13840/artikel/2327699-bmx-broers-kimmann-maken-het-beste-van-de-situatie-in-eigen-hal |title=BMX-broers Kimmann 'maken het beste van de situatie' in eigen hal |language=Dutch |publisher=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting |date=20 March 2020 |archive-date=3 May 2020}} and successfully defended the World Cup with the highest point total (1180pts) in history, after winning six out of ten races.

In early 2021 Kimmann left the Dutch National Team in Papendal for The UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle. He is now coached by former World Champion Liam Phillips. A few days before the 2020 Olympics, Kimmann crashed into a track official during a training lap around the BMX track, which resulted in a small fracture in his kneecap.{{cite web |author= |url=https://wmgk.com/2021/07/30/olympic-bmx-crash-knee-fracture-wins-gold-niek-kimmann/ |title=VIDEO: Olympic BMX Cyclist Fractures Knee In Crash, Goes On To Win Gold] |language=English |publisher=Erica Banas |date=30 July 2021 }} On 30 July he won the Men's BMX gold medal starting from lane 8, ahead of Kye Whyte and Carlos Ramírez (BMX rider). After the Olympics he has confirmed that he'll continue BMX racing, but he doesn't rule out the possibility of joining the Dutch track cycling team in the future.

Personal life

His younger brother, Justin Kimmann, is also a BMX rider and finished 8th in the Junior World Championships 2016.

Trivia

The Kimmann family has an indoor BMX track in a warehouse at their farm, which they use for training and shooting YouTube videos.{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/327794/BMX-broers-Kimmann-trainen-door-in-eigen-hal-We-maken-het-beste-van-de-situatie |title=BMX-broers Kimmann trainen door in eigen hal: "We maken het beste van de situatie"] |language=Dutch}}
During the COVID-19 quarantine period, Kimmann set the 'Garden World Hour Record' in his backyard with a distance of 20.1 km, beating GCN's 16.3 km.{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRYZMduaITU |title=KUNNEN WE DE BESTE OOIT WORDEN!? [MET NIEK KIMMANN] |language=Dutch |publisher=Tour de Tietema |date=3 June 2020 }}
In the run-up to the 2020 Olympics, Kimmann and his partner Samsung developed FastFrame. A regular Meybo BMX-bicycle with built-in sensors. These sensors give real-time information to his coaches.{{cite web |author= |url=https://news.samsung.com/nl/grootste-bmx-innovatie-ooit-helpt-niek-kimmann-naar-olympisch-goud |title=Grootste BMX-innovatie ooit helpt Niek Kimmann naar Olympisch goud] |language=Dutch}}{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNuXZdY0rcI |title=Making Of Samsung FastFrame] | website=YouTube |language=Dutch}}
After his gold Olympic medal, Kimmann received a royal insignia, which made him Knight Order of Orange-Nassau.{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/1996161/Olympische-gouden-medaillewinnaars-geridderd-tijdens-huldiging-in-Den-Haag |title=Olympische gouden medaillewinnaars geridderd tijdens huldiging in Den Haag] |language=Dutch}}

References

External links

{{UCI BMX rider}}
{{Cycling Archives}}
{{The-Sports}}
{{Olympedia}}
{{Olympics.com profile}}
{{NOCNSF profile|niek-kimmann}}
{{TeamNL profile|niek-kimmann|old_id=5535-niek-kimmann}}

Category:1996 births

Category:Living people

Category:Dutch BMX riders

Category:Dutch male cyclists

Category:Olympic cyclists for the Netherlands

Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Netherlands

Category:Olympic gold medalists in cycling

Category:Cyclists at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics

Category:Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:UCI BMX World Champions (elite men)

Category:Sportspeople from Hardenberg

Category:Cyclists from Overijssel

Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen