Go211 caught up with Donny Robinson before he headed off to Beijing for the much anticipated Olympic Debut of BMX racing. Here's what he had to say before his Olympic experience kicked off....

Go211: So why did you choose to stay home for the first week of the games and skip the opening ceremonies?

D: Well obviously we didn’t go to the opening ceremonies, for the games, pretty much because our competition isn’t until the 20th over there and you know being over there for two weeks is a little difficult. I spent three weeks over there last year during the same time and it was kind of a rough stay. I mean it was awesome but I think three weeks is a little too much so it was a collective decision to just forgo the opening ceremonies and make sure we were in top shape for the race and we hit closing ceremonies instead. I think all of us were pretty bummed when we were watching the opening ceremonies on TV but we understand we have a job to do.

Go211: So you watched the opening ceremonies? Did it stoke you out or did it make you nervous? What was going through your head as your were watching it all?

D: Umm actually everyone here at the training center in Chula Vista watched the opening ceremonies together at a restaurant downtown. I think we all were bummed that we weren’t there and we were just in awe of what was actually happening. We didn’t really expect anything less than the best from the Chinese and I think they just started the games up with a big blow out. I think these games are gonna be the best we’ve ever seen and I can only imagine what’s going to happen when we get over there. I think its gonna make a huge impact. I think it’ll really hit us all when we step off that plane in Beijing.

Go211: So when you say “you all” you’re basically in Chula Vista right now with the rest of the BMX team?

D: Yes. Kyle Bennet, Mike Day, Joe Kitner is here and obviously a few other athletes that are still here at the training center. We just gathered together and watched the festivities.

Go211: Awesome. I’m really curious about the Beijing Supercross course vs. a standard BMX course and I was wondering if you could talk about the difference between the two a little.

D: Well the main difference between the Beijing Olympic course and really everything we’ve rode on our whole life is it’s just a huge difference, I mean the past 17 years all us racers really rode on the same tracks that the younger kids did. You know we raced on the same tracks as 8-year-old girls. And so once the emergence of the Olympics and BMX had a chance to be in there they obviously had to change tracks and make them for the elite riders. That’s the only way we’re going to make an impact if the spectators are psyched on our sport. The course builders added a 3-story tall starting hill, there are 40 foot jumps, there really is no middle to these jumps so you have to jump them. So when these tracks first started coming out a couple years ago it just freaked us all out cause it was the scariest thing you know your on top of this starting hill and in less than a second your going 40 miles an hour already. So it was just something that scared us to death but it was something that our sport needed to take it a couple notches up. We had a chance to be in the X-games a few years and that got taken out and we got put in the Olympics and I think it’s a better spot for us. I got to see the Beijing track last year when we got to go to out test event over there and that was an awesome experience in itself because it was the biggest track we’d ever seen. We were used to big tracks by then but this Beijing track was that much gnarlier and I was like “we really got to be able to jump these jumps” and have a good race here and you know it ends up being the jump were too small for us to race on, so once they built the Beijing replica here in Chula Vista they kinda tweaked a few things added some length to jumps. We have the track 30 seconds outside our dorm room so it’s been a huge advantage for us Americans to be able to ride this track any time we want. I think we’re going to make a big splash in Beijing.

Go211: Awesome. So you mentioned that all the jumps are much bigger, what’s going to be the biggest challenge with the new course?

D: Well I think the track, we’re all used to it, all the countries had a chance to come here to Chula Vista and ride on the track. So we’re all used to the track we’re all used to the speed, you know riding 8 riders wide around this track we’re all pretty much used to that. I think the biggest challenge that we’re all gonna have to get used to is just the scale at which were gonna be racing now. You know who knows how many spectators are going be at this event. I know it was packed last year at the test event but how much bigger is it going to be now. NBC cameras are going to be all over the place, its something I’ve tried not to think about. Just trying to race this race like any other race we’ve had before. It’s just the scale at which we’re going into this thing, we don’t know what to expect yet. Were still over here (in the US) we kind of imagine what we’re going to encounter but I think were all just going to have our socks blown off when we get over there. We’re just going to have to try and stay calm. *laughs*

Go211: Yeah. So you said your trying not to think about it, but do you have any kind of technique for getting ready to deal with the media onslaught and the huge crowds and all of the hype around the event?

D: Yeah I think there are a few things to get ready for the big media hype that BMX is going to bring over there. I’ve just been so blessed to be able to do what I have so far. You know that test event last year in Beijing; I went there a few weeks early to do a US Olympic Committee tour. I ended up winning that test event and so I kind of did a lot of things at the right time with the right people watching. Because of that the past year has been just nuts, I mean sponsors, your know McDonalds, Kellogg’s, Nike all these I’ve just been doing some crazy media stuff. So I’ve been lucky to be surrounded a lot by the hype that we’re going to face. I’m going to try to use some of the experience I’ve had in the past year and try to harness what we’re going to face over there. I mean we can talk to sports psychologist all day long and they can tell us things we already know but like I said I think the biggest difference is gonna be the scale at which we’re accustomed to now.

Go211: So with BMX and the whole Olympic course change do you think that the courses are going to change after the Olympics? Will you see more courses that will be bigger like this or are you going to be back on the 9-year-old course? *laughs*

D: I think the tracks that we’re seeing now are going to stay. They’ve proven to be good for the racers and the spectators. Obviously the reason why we’re in the Olympics is because of how cool our tracks are. We’re adding more world cup races each year so more of these tracks are being built. I mean there’s you know been one in Spain and there are permanent ones in Denmark now, Australia you know so they’re all over the place. I mean its only a matter of time before the next big thing comes up and we’re forced to make a few other changes to keep up with staying in the spotlight.

Go211: So is your family going to be there?

D: Yes. The whole family Sister, Mom, Dad, Girlfriend. It’s going to cost a pretty penny but everybody’s going over to China. They’re not gonna see me at all but I think they’re just going to have a good time together and hopefully they stay safe.

Go211: Yeah, of course. So what is up with the McDonalds face off and how rad is it to see yourself with a bobble head?

D: Like I said I’ve just been so lucky to have the sponsors to take a chance on me. I just never in a million years thought I’d have the caliber of sponsors I do now. Just the cool stuff that I’ve done for AT&T and McDonalds being on the cups and bags and having that face the glory website. It’s just unreal it’s like a dream and I hope this dream doesn’t end for at least you know 8 years. It’s just something that you always hope would happen but you never thought it would come. So I’ve just been so thankful for my sponsors for taking the chance and giving me this opportunity to give a kid a chance.

Go211: Yeah, that’s awesome. Well I’m super stoked for you Donny. What day do you compete?

D: The 20th and 21st over there but it’ll be the 19th and 20th over here.

Go211: Well good luck over there. We’ll be cheering for you.

D: Thanks!