TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN TORY NYHAUG RETIRES FROM BMX RACING

Ottawa, ON (November 18, 2019) – Two-time Olympian and Canadian BMX racer Tory Nyhaug has announced that he is officially retiring from professional sport after an illustrious career. The 27-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C. has been forced to hang up the bike after struggling with post-concussion symptoms for the last year and half that ultimately led to his decision to retire.

Nyhaug’s career was highlighted by a gold medal on home soil at the 2015 Pan Am Games, a silver medal at the 2014 UCI BMX World Championships and representing Canada at the 2012 and 2016 summer Olympics. At the Rio Games in 2016, Nyhaug qualified for the final and finished in fifth place, the best-ever Canadian result.

Early this year, Nyhaug described the concussion he has been suffering from as the most frustrating injury of his career. Having resumed training on multiple occasions, symptoms continuously flared up as he aimed to participate in a third Olympics for Canada. The severity of the injury, the persistent symptoms and the possibility of long term risk of another hit to the head forced Nyhaug to make the decision to retire in the interest of his own health.

“The past year and a half has been really difficult mentally and physically trying to overcome this concussion,” Nyhaug said. “I did everything I possibly could to return to racing and I’m disappointed I couldn’t finish my career on a high note. With that being said, I’m happy that I can now retire healthy and proud of everything I’ve accomplished. I have no regrets, I poured my heart and soul into my sport and I was rewarded with more than I ever thought possible. I competed in two Olympic Games including one Olympic final, won a Pan Am Games gold medal, earned a World Championships silver medal and stood on multiple World Cup podiums. If I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.”

While he will take a step away from racing, Nyhaug plans to continue to be heavily involved in BMX riding for fun and sharing his story to help others dealing with the effects of concussions. He will also be a member of the TV crew at the UCI BMX SX World Cups, plans to hold BMX camps and coach riders. He also has plans to continue growing his “Coffee Chatter” BMX podcast.