You’d think that Olympic qualifier Donny Robinson would be pretty tired after all the work he puts into bicycle motocross (BMX) as a national and world champion each day.

You’d think that by the time he turns off the lights and closes his eyes that he would have no problem getting to sleep in his Napa home.

Think again.

The other night Robinson’s stomach was in knots, twisting and turning. His mind was racing.

His thoughts were on going to Beijing, China this month to represent the U.S. in the biggest BMX races of his 19-year career in the sport.

“The emotions are definitely starting to build up now,” Robinson, 25, said recently from the BMX track at Kennedy Park. “It was just a couple of nights ago and I started getting nervous.

“I don’t know what thought entered my mind, but it just hit me — man, this is it. This is the biggest race that we’ve ever done.”

Robinson, a 2001 Napa High School graduate, has every reason to feel confident in his chances as he gets ready to leave with the rest of this country’s team — Kyle Bennett (Conroe, Texas), Mike Day (Santa Clarita, Calif.) and Jill Kintner (Seattle) — on Aug. 13.

BMX racing is making its Olympic debut this summer.

He has a list of accolades and achievements like few others:

• During an Olympic test event a year ago on the track in Laoshan, China, Robinson sprinted ahead of the world’s best BMX athletes, showing he has what it takes to win a gold medal. It was held in conjunction with the 2007 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup.

“I don’t think anything compares yet to that test event because it was at the Olympic track, it was at the whole venue, with the heat and humidity, the gate cadence and race format,” said Robinson. “It was the hardest race that I’ve raced to date — just physically taxing and mentally unreal. It took a lot of work and luck to win that. I was really thankful.”

He added: “That was the first big step of, ‘Hey, I could do it at this track. That sets me up in a good position for a year from now for making the team.’ The pressure was big-time, and luckily I was able to handle it well enough to come out as the winner.”

• He was the first-ever USA Cycling BMX national champion at the inaugural event in 2007.

• He illustrated his strength and consistency at the international level when he captured the overall UCI BMX Supercross World Cup title in 2006.

• He was just about unstoppable in 2006, winning nearly every race he entered and becoming one of the most popular BMX riders in the world.

• He earned a discretionary selection to the men’s Olympic squad based on his consistent history of recording top results at the international level. He finished second to Day at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Chula Vista, Calif.

• Robinson is currently the No. 1-ranked men’s BMX athlete in the world, according to the International Cycling Union, and leads the overall 2008 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup standings. He consistently places high on the UCI and USA Cycling circuits.

• Sports Illustrated picks Robinson to win the gold medal, while a media survey conducted by The Associated Press projected him to take the silver.

• He was recently featured in a special half-hour episode of cable network MOJO HD’s “A Shot at Glory,” a 10-part series that delves into the mindset and motivation of America’s most promising and extraordinary athletes.

“The past year, year-and-a-half has just been constantly racing, training, trying to fight for those three spots,” Robinson said. “Now I have to start working toward actually trying to win the Olympics.

“The past month has been unreal training. I haven’t really had a bunch of time to think about, that this is the Olympics we’re going to, that I’ve made it.”

Track will challenge Olympic riders

The Olympic track is approximately 300 to 400 meters in length and contains many high technical jumps and other obstacles designed for the top-level riders of BMX racing. The starting gate is 31⁄2 stories tall.

He rides a bike made by Hyper and will be outfitted in an official USA uniform made by Nike. Riders also wear a helmet.

The men’s and women’s events — taking place Aug. 19 and 20 — will both start with a seeding phase, where each rider runs the track twice, with the fastest time selected over the two runs to determine seeding. This is designed so that the fastest riders do not meet before the final.

“It’s up to me, and I think I can do it,” said Robinson, who turned pro in 2002.

A total of 32 men and 16 women from around the world will get a shot to compete at the Games. In each round, eight cyclists race head-to-head, around the dirt track featuring jumps. It’s an all-around sprint.

The men will then compete in quarterfinals, held over three runs, with points awarded according to places. The top four riders with the lowest score will advance to the semifinals. The semifinals are again held over three runs, with the top four riders with the lowest score qualifying for the final. The final is held over a single run with eight cyclists and is judged by speed alone.

It’s a supercross-style outdoor track with riders expected to reach a fast speed of 40 mph.

“If you have one bad lap it doesn’t mean you’re out. It’s total points,” said Robinson. “So you can come back.”

The women advance directly from the seeding run to semifinals, held over three runs and then to the final, again held over a single run.

“In that one-lap final, anything can happen,” said Robinson, a Napa native.

The athletes will be staying as low to the ground as possible as they push themselves in an all-out, one-lap sprint that will last under 40 seconds.

“With my whole career, ever since I was 6, coming out to the old track, I can’t believe that all of that work is for this,” Robinson said. “Really, I don’t think it’s going to hit us until we actually walk into the Olympic village or into our venue, that we are representing our country, the USA, in BMX for the first time in the Olympics.

“The emotions, I can’t even imagine what they’re going to be like when we walk in. I wouldn’t expect anything less than tears, because it’s been a long road. To actually think what we could do for our country is unreal.”

He plans to be in the best shape of his life for the Summer Games.

“I want to go over there and just do what I know how to do — and that’s ride my bike. And when I normally do that, I win.

“Ultimately I know what I want, and that’s a gold medal. And that’s just the culmination of my whole career. I’ve never expected anything but success.”

The track at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, built by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Cycling, is a near-exact replica to the one in Beijing. There, the riders live and train together, benefiting from some of the top coaches, nutritionists and trainers in the country. The U.S. is considered one of the top BMX powers.

“It’s going to be such an advantage having this replica track in our backyard,” Kintner said on the usacycling.org Web site. “The Olympic Training Center has opened my eyes to what the possibilities could be towards an Olympic dream, and they have provided an incredible resource.

“In my normal life, meeting all these different athletes and learning from those who have been to the Olympics before just wouldn’t have been available. This environment has plenty of positive motivation to train hard.”

A family affair

Robinson will be joined at the Olympics by his family and girlfriend, Tiffany Glenn.

His dad, Dennis Robinson, used to race in European-style motorcycle speedway events and promoted races locally.

“Luckily, I’ve kind of handled pressure pretty well the last few years,” said Donny, who is represented by Octagon, a management-marketing company.

“It’s not always the best rider that wins, it’s the most mentally prepared and just the guy that rides the smoothest laps. I’m just going to take this as what it is. I’ve done what I’ve done the last two years, and I don’t expect to do anything less at the Games.

“I’m just going to go at it as, ‘Hey, this is so far the greatest opportunity we’ve ever had in our careers.’ I’m not excited to get it over with. I’ve been living the dream for the last eight months.

“I’ve just met so many amazing people and the ride’s just been so great. I’m looking forward to having the ride continue. I want to experience the whole Olympic vibe and see all the other great athletes and watch them. I hope that whatever I do over there, it’s for something. I’m here in this place for a reason and I’ve been given these talents for a reason.”

He wants to watch gymnastics, swimming and track and field at the Games, which begin today and continue through Aug. 24. He will take part in closing ceremonies.

Robinson has kept in touch with some of his classmates from Napa High over the years. There are those who are in the business and corporate world, those who have gone to college, those who are married with families.

Robinson said he wouldn’t trade his life on a bicycle for anything. His sponsors include Nike, McDonald’s, Hershey, Kellogg’s, Monster, AT&T and Hyper Bicycles.

“I couldn’t have imagined that this would have ever happened. I just can’t believe that a bicycle has taken me this far and allowed me to be where I’m at and meet the people that I have. I can’t imagine doing anything better than what I’m doing now — all because of a bike and good people.

“People have said, ‘You’re not going to be able to race a bike forever. You’re going to have to get a job.’ That’s when I was 18. They’ve said, ‘What are you going to do after high school?’ I’m going to race.

“I didn’t let myself dwell on what-ifs. I just did what I love. It’s just hard for me to put into words how long this whole road’s been and how much blood, sweat and tears I’ve put in it. I’m just thankful that I’ve been blessed with what I have. I can only imagine how great the future can be.”

Bound for Beijing: Donny Robinson at a glance

Hometown: Napa

Birth date: June 17, 1983

Height: 5-5

Weight: 150

Sponsors: Nike, McDonald’s, Hershey,

Kellogg’s, Monster, AT&T, Hyper Bicycles, Go211.com

Career highlights: 2007 USA Cycling BMX National Champion, 2007 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup winner, 2007 winner of Freedom National, 2006 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Champion, 2006 winner of UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, 2006 World Champion-Cruiser Class, winner of 2006 Boulder Dam National, winner of 2006 Golden State National, winner of 2006 Stars ‘n Stripes National, second place in 2006 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in San Jose, seventh place at 2005 UCI BMX World Championships, 2001 Junior World Champion.

Turned Pro: 2002

Big Year: In 2006, he won over 20 races.

How it all began: Donny started racing at the age of 6 at the Napa Valley BMX track.

BMX on TV

Editor’s Note: Napa’s Olympic representative Donny Robinson is scheduled to compete on

television on the following dates and times.

The information was provided by the

Associated Press, and all competition is being broadcast on NBC and its affiliate channels.

These listings are subject to change.

The times listed are local Pacific daylight time.

For more information, visit the following link:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules

Once on the Web site, you can choose to view the schedule in Beijing time or local time.

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 9:35 to 11 p.m.

• Men’s Gymnastics

• Men’s Cycling: BMX Competition

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Track & Field: Gold Medal Finals

• Gymnastics Gala Exhibition

• Women’s Beach Volleyball Gold Medal Match

• Women’s Diving: Platform Semifinal

• Cycling: BMX Gold Medal Finals