 Five time UCI MTB DH World Cup Champion | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Aaron Holmes Gwin |
| Born | December 24, 1987 San Bernardino, California |
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Gwin Racing |
| Discipline | Downhill mountain biking |
| Rider type | Downhill |
| Professional teams | |
| 2008-2010 | Yeti Cycles |
| 2011-2012 | Trek World Racing |
| 2013-2015 | Specialized Gravity |
| 2016-2018 | The YT Mob |
| 2019-2023 | Intense Factory Racing |
| 2024- | Gwin Racing |
| Major wins | |
| UCI Downhill World Cup Champion (x5) USAC Downhill National Champion (x8) | |
Aaron Holmes Gwin (born December 24, 1987) is an American professional downhill mountain biker from Morongo Valley, California. He is a five-time World Cup overall champion.[1]
Aaron Gwin started his cycling career racing BMX from the age of 4. By age 8, Gwin was racing at a national level.[1] At age 12, Gwin moved on to motocross and raced up until he was 17, when he quit due to constant injuries.[2] In 2008, at age 20, Gwin was loaned a bike by fellow professional downhill racer and good friend Cody Warren and was encouraged to compete in a race. In his first race in the Fontana Winter Series, he placed 3rd, and began racing from then on, quickly signing with Yeti Cycles.[3] He became well-known for breaking into the international World Cup scene after only 8 months of riding downhill.[4]
Many saw Gwin as the savior for US downhill racing on the international scene, since his 10th-place finish at the Mont Sainte-Anne World Cup in 2008 was the first American top 10 finish since 2004.[5] He has since won eight United States National Championships for Downhill, in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
In 2011 and 2012, Gwin dominated the UCI World Cup downhill series. Gwin won 5 out of 7 World Cup races in 2011, and finished 13th at the UCI World Championships in Champery.[6] In 2012, Gwin once again dominated the circuit, taking first place in 4 out of 6 World Cup races. He finished in 128th at World Championships in Leogang.
The year 2013 was a disappointing one for Gwin, with unexpected poor results culminating in an accident involving a tree at the World Championships.[7]
In 2014, Gwin's racing improved from 2013, although with only one 1st in the World Cup along with the USA National Championships. His racing showed recovery from his 2013 setbacks, but suffered several mechanical accidents, such as his run in Leogang at the UCI MTB World Cup in 2014, where he suffered a flat tire as he left the start gate, which resulted in the tire coming off of the rim;[8] or his 2015 race run at the Leogang UCI MTB World Cup where his chain broke on the start line, and he raced without pedaling for his race run, managing to hold his speed and win the race.[9]
Much of Gwin's style and skill come from his motocross experience.[2] His BMX racing experience has also contributed to his ability to ride smoothly,[2] bringing him success in Dual Slalom and Mountain Cross.
Gwin was sponsored in 2008 by Yeti Cycles.[10] He left the Yeti team in November 2010 to join the Trek World Racing Team after relocating to Temecula, CA.[11] During his time at Trek World Racing, he won two World Cup Overall titles, in 2011 and 2012. On January 7, 2013, it was announced that Aaron would be riding for Specialized Racing, replacing Sam Hill on the team. His teammate at Specialized was Troy Brosnan.
After a successful season with Specialized, Gwin announced that he would be leaving the big brand to ride for up and coming brand YT Industries for the 2016 season.[12] In 2019, Gwin signed with Intense Factory Racing.[13] In 2024, Gwin left Intense Factory Racing and formed an independent team, Gwin Factory Racing.
National Mountain Bike Championships - Downhill[37]