Birthdate: October 24, 1981
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington
With BMX, being added to the 2008 Olympicslook for this biking phenom to take home the gold medal! We got the scoop on Jill!
Growing Up
Jill grew up in Seattle, Washington and started riding bikes at the age of two. Her natural athletic ability was evident as she was an elite level soccer and tennis player. But no matter how good she got at those sports, she always had more of a passion being on a bike. It was easy for Jill to get into BMX considering there was a BMX track by her house. She started racing at nine-years-old and was already a professional at 14.
Career
As a young adult, Jill was racing both BMX bikes and mountain bikes. She has over 70 career wins as a BMX racer including winning both the NBL National Series pro title and ABA World Championship in 2002. But after the 2002, Jill decided to give BMX a break. She got involved in MountainCross - which is a sport where mountain bikers maneuver around a motocross-type obstacle course. The transition proved to be easy as Kintner became the most dominant female in the sport. She is a four-time U.S. National Champion and a three-time UCI World Champion.
Beijing Olympics
When it was announced that BMX would be added to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the idea of winning the gold intrigued Jill. The transition would not be easy, considering Jill hasn't competed in the BMX in over six years! Remember, riding a BMX bike has a different feel than riding a mountain bike. Jill has spent much of the last few months relearning the sport through a rigorous training regiment. Will Jill be able to win gold at the sport she once dominated? You will have to tune in and see!
Did U Know?
- Jill Kintner's boyfriend is Bryn Atkinson is an Australian professional mountain biker.
- Jill Kintner's hobbies include: snowboarding, tennis, golf, ping-pong, design and photography.
- Jill Kintner is sponsored by Red Bull, GT Bicycles, Oakley, Vans, Ogio, Sram and Avid.
- Jill Kintner owns a house in the Blue Mountains of Australia.
Jill Says...
"Beijing is my only chance to win an Olympic medal. I don’t want to let that opportunity go."
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