Nevada gold medalist Connor Fields talks about overcoming BMX crash, new role at Paris Olympics
Patrick Semansky / AP, file
Connor Fields, of the United States, bites his gold medal during a victory ceremony for the men's BMX cycling final during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.
Thursday, July 25, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Connor Fields was thumbing through his Instagram app this week when he received notification that he was tagged in a video.
“It follows me around,” he says of the video of the gruesome crash at the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 that left the champion BMX rider with significant brain trauma and a fractured memory.
“From the minute when I woke up in the hospital (following the crash) and opened my phone I have been inundated with photos from it. I don’t shy away from it. It’s as much part of my life as winning a gold medal was.”
Connor Fields of the United States, center, leads with Anthony Dean of Australia, above, Carlos Alberto Ramirez Yepes of Colombia, 2nd right, and Giacomo Fantoni of Italy, right, following, in the men's BMX Racing quarterfinals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
Fields, a Henderson resident and Green Valley High School graduate, is a three-time Olympian who at the 2016 games in Brazil was the first American to win a gold medal in BMX.
The crash was the last time he rode competitively, although he hasn’t drifted far from the sport. He’ll be in Paris doing commentary for NBC as their analyst at the 2024 Olympics, which began this week.
It should come as no surprise that Fields, whose outgoing personality has long been one of his trademarks, has made a smooth transition into broadcasting. Listen to him speak on BMX and the passion is obvious.
“It’s been fun,” he said of his analyst role. “I know what (the competitors) are going through. I have lived it.”
He doesn’t remember the crash in the semifinal run of the Tokyo Games that left his brain hemorrhaging. If it weren’t for his helmet, he’d likely be dead.
Fields will tell you he’s the “only Olympian that has won a gold medal and then nearly died trying to win another,” even though it’s not an official stat.
Medics prepare to carry Connor Fields, of the United States, away on a stretcher after he crashed in the men's BMX Racing semifinals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo. His injuries were numerous: torn shoulder ligaments, a torn bicep, broken ribs, a collapsed lung. But most serious was what was diagnosed as a subarachnoid hemorrhage and subdural hematoma — essentially, bleeding on the brain.
Fields spent about a year recovering from the horrific crash, starting with six months of neurological rehabilitation followed by “my reward for getting my brain right was having my shoulder reconstructed.”
When he was cleared in late May 2022, there was no hesitation in getting back on the bike. Hours after being given the green light, Fields took a ride at the BMX course in Boulder City. He was raised on that track and found a certain comfort in being back.
Fields still frequently rides — but he’s now focused on mountain bikes for recreation and exercise.
“The day I was cleared I went and rode because I didn’t want (the crash) to be the last thing I did on a bike,” he said. “Because one thing happened, that’s not going to define my life.”
Fields’ place in BMX history is unquestionable — he’s legendary, a trendsetter and arguably the best to ever do it.
Fields says it best: “First American to win a gold medal in the sport we invented.”
And although Fields is no longer representing his country on the course, he’s still heavily involved with the national team.
Fields is an ambassador charged with race design, building out a training program for participants, and marketing. He also gives clinics for young riders.
He still has much to give to a sport that has been good to him — even in bad times.
“Going into any BMX race, you are aware of the risk,” he said. “You can do everything right and get a flat tire. You can do everything right and another rider puts you on the ground. What happened in Tokyo doesn’t change anything. For a period (after winning gold), I was the greatest in my sport.”
Fields was a teenager when he made his Olympic debut in London at the 2012 games, finishing seventh overall and getting a taste of what makes the Olympics so special. It’s the greatest athletic competition in the world, after all.
“It’s the balance of doing what you are there to do and setting yourself up to perform at your best,” Fields said. “But make sure to take a second to smell the roses, look around and appreciate what you are doing.”
As Olympians start arriving this week at the Olympic Village in Paris, Fields — and any other former Olympians — are surely reminiscing about when they competed.
Only a select few reach this stage, and that’s something to be proud of, Fields said. And only the best of the best return home with a medal. Those memories of winning in 2016 are still fresh.
“If you are going to win a gold medal at 23 years old, there is no better place to come to than Las Vegas,” he said. “It was a great couple of months of celebrating.”
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