Jamie Staff

Jamie Staff began his career in BMX and, basing himself in California, competed successfully in American Bicycle Association and National Bicycle League events until 2001. He also won the elite cruiser title at the 1996 BMX World Championships.

Switching to the track after the 2001 BMX season had ended, he made his championship debut at the 2002 Commonwealth Games where he helped England to the silver medal in the team sprint. Later that year, despite less than a year’s racing on the track, he was part of Great Britain’s first team sprint world championship winning trio. Staff won the World keirin title in 2004 but had a disappointing Olympic Games when he was disqualified from the keirin and finished outside the medals in the team sprint. Staff won a world championship medal every year between 2002 and 2008 and helped Britain regain team sprint gold in 2005.

For the 2008 Olympic Games he trained specifically for the opening lap of the team sprint, a decision that paid off when he recorded the fastest ever first lap time in the event’s history as Britain took the gold medal. In addition to Olympic gold Staff has won three World Championship medals of each colour to the end of 2008.