Ethan Hosatte is 8 years and a few months old. Despite his age, the young resident of Eure is preparing to compete in his first BMX World Championships, an extreme cycling sport. In a few weeks he will cross the Atlantic with his parents. He will leave the family home in Bourneville-Sainte-Croix, near Pont-Audemer, towards Rockhill. It is in this city in South Carolina, in the United States of America, that the competition will take place, from May 12 to 18, 2024.
Ethan has been paving his way on the BMX tracks since 2020. His rise has been dizzying in this Olympic discipline. But it is in no way a surprise. Including and especially for the most informed observers, such as one of the educators and coaches of the BMX club in Évreux, a structure within which he trains assiduously three times a week.
“He really has something more than the others,” confirms Julien Bridel, coach at the Évreux BMX section. Technically he is far above the others. You just need to see its pedaling cadence to be convinced. He jumps over bumps that some drivers who are 14 or 15 years old don’t dare jump… And he still has a huge margin for improvement! » No wonder young Ethan races with drivers older than him, up to two years older.
“The title or a second place!” »
In the United States, in just over a month, that won’t be the case. Ethan Hosatte will find himself on the starting line of the World Championships, with children the same age as him. From then on, all hopes are allowed, “unless he comes across one or more pilots as gifted as him…”, underlines Julien Bridel.
For Ethan, the objective is clear: “The title or a second place,” explains the young European driver spontaneously. A goal that his father, Brice Hosatte, a former BMX rider himself, tempers. “If he makes it to the final it will already be very good! » Brice Hosatte and the family favor other manifestations of success… and not just sporting performance. “We promised ourselves one thing,” explains Brice Hosatte, “whatever happens to him, he will have to remain humble and polite with everyone. And then there is school where Ethan succeeds like in BMX. »
The secret to this success is simple. Its main and natural driving force is pleasure. “Apart from BMX, I also have fun with my friends,” says Ethan. I also play football with them. » In short, a carefree and preserved childhood life which offers Ethan optimal conditions for success. And why not win a first BMX world champion title in May 2024 in the USA.