Yu
Katagiri

Yu Katagiri burst onto the BMX Flatland scene with gold at X Games Japan 2023—his rookie appearance and the year he was also the youngest BMX rider at the event (18). Now 20, he’s still the youngest in the field at XG Osaka 2025 and ranked 2nd overall in the 2024 UCI World Rankings. Hailing from Nagaoka, Japan, his parents run a bike shop called Glow—a space that doubles as a Flatland training spot. Katagiri didn’t grow up watching X Games and says he wasn’t nervous in 2023, even skipping school to compete. He’s also a multi-time Chimera A-Side winner.