Codi Merito World No 8, NZ No 1 in BMX

This article was written by Kashka Tunstall and published in the Waikato Times today:

When Codi Merito stepped out on to the track at the national BMX championships in April, he knew it was do or die time.

The 15-year-old needed to secure a win in his age group if he wanted to make the New Zealand BMX team to travel to England to compete in the World BMX Championships after a nasty fall last year threatened his chances.

Normally points are accumulated over two years of competition but Codi wasn't able to compete at nationals last year after a crash in practice in the two weeks leading up to the competition saw him hospitalised with a broken collarbone.

"I couldn't get through before the nationals so it just meant I had to go good this year," Codi said.

"I had to win the finals so I knew I had to practise hard and it's probably the hardest I had practised going into nationals."

After smooth sailing to a win in the 15-year age group in the 20-inch class, he found healthy competition in the 15-16 age group cruiserweight class where he met Cambridge rider Jarrod Browning, who had already won the 16-year class, in the final.

But Codi beat out Browning to take his third national cruiserweight title while the 15-year boys' event win was his seventh title in that class.

Codi has just returned home from the world championships in Birmingham, placing eighth in his age group after competing against more than 100 of the world's best BMXers his age.

It was the second time the youngster had made it to a world championship and he said the international tournaments were the highlight of competing in the sport.

"It's cool, I don't know how to describe it. It's way different going to new places, that's the best and meeting new people.

"It's cool jumping and winning and meeting people from all these different countries."

Riding for the Te Awamutu BMX club, he has been lucky to be surrounded by world class riders who call the Waikato home and famous Kiwi BMXer Marc Willers has even taken the time to pass on some wisdom and advice to the young rider.

"Anything he tells me is good really, he's cool," he said.

"It's probably the best racing in New Zealand in the Waikato ... "

The dream for the youngster is to follow in the footsteps of Willers and make the New Zealand Olympic team now that BMX has been added to the official Games lineup.

"That's probably my main goal, the Olympics, to get in to the New Zealand team."