--- title: "Veddriq Leonardo taking up dirt bikes in Indonesia; Rizki Juniansyah inspires switch to dirt bikes" sdDatePublished: "2026-09-17T14:11:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/veddriq-leonardo-indonesia-climbing-sensation-dirt-bikes-exclusive" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" - name: "sport achievement" identifier: "medtop:20001301" - name: "sport event" identifier: "medtop:20001108" - name: "motorcycling" identifier: "medtop:20000998" locations: - "Pontianak" - "France" - "Indonesia" --- Veddriq Leonardo taking up dirt bikes in Indonesia; Rizki Juniansyah inspires switch to dirt bikes Why Veddriq Leonardo, Indonesia's climbing sensation, has taken up riding dirt bikes Why Veddriq Leonardo, Indonesia's climbing sensation, has taken up riding dirt bikes The reigning Olympic men's speed climbing champion is on the right path to LA28 - alongside a fellow Olympic gold medallist. Veddriq Leonardo is no stranger to speed. The Olympic men’s speed climbing gold medallist made history as the first champion in the new event at Paris 2024 , bringing home a famous gold medal for Indonesia. It was a first outside of badminton , the historic powerhouse of Indonesian sport. Now, the 29-year-old has channelled his passion for velocity to dirt bikes, thanks to Rizki Juniansyah , who was crowned Olympic weightlifting champion just hours after Leonardo’s climbing coronation. “Rizki and I became good friends after the Olympics,” Leonardo told Olympics.com in Indonesian. “Sometimes we talk on the phone and share our experiences. Now I’m trying a new activity: riding dirt bikes. It’s because Rizki also rides dirt bikes.” Juniansyah, who set a men’s 73kg Olympic record in Paris, is nothing less than a motorbike aficionado. He has 21 bikes, including a special one that he bought with the national prize money earned from bringing home the gold medal. “When I'm tired from training and go home, I look at my motorcycle collection and I'm happy again,” Juniansyah said to Olympics.com in 2025. “I think I only like weightlifting and motorcycles because I like sports.” It means that the climber and weightlifter have more than one thing in common: Indonesian Olympic champions and dirt bike enthusiasts. Will speed climbing’s revolution lead to a “masterpiece” at LA28? Exclusive: How Rizki Juniansyah overcame grief to become world champion and break weightlifting world record - again Ultimate Anthem of Paris 2024 - Indonesia Veddriq Leonardo on LA28: “I picture myself as a gold medallist” Leonardo, who has broken the world record three times, secured his most recent World Climbing Series title in Chamonix, France, this July. He returned to the men’s speed top 10 for the first time as Olympic champion, though he is currently 17th in the world rankings. Since the Pontianak native became the first man to go sub-five seconds in a men’s speed competition in 2023, the world record has gone from 4.90s to 4.54s, set by Chinese teenager Zhao Yicheng in May 2026. “It’s such an exciting and amazing sport,” explained Leonardo. “Lots of people are very fast, but they’re not fast enough. You need emotional control and mental strength to become a champion. “The competition is getting tougher. It won’t be easy for anyone, but it will bring incredible results for the competitors. Record times are getting faster and the quality of climbing is improving.” In the last three years since Leonardo's history-making mark, a time faster than it has been set on eight different occasions between two athletes: Zhao and Olympic bronze medallist Sam Watson , one of the premier challengers for the Olympic Games LA28 title. Asked what comes to mind at the thought of the upcoming Olympics in the USA, Leonardo did not hesitate. “I picture myself as a gold medallist,” he responded with a warm smile but no shortage of determination. “I want the gold. I’ll train hard, work even harder, and it won’t be an easy journey, but I’ll do my best for the Indonesian team.” Veddriq Leonardo (INA) | Sport Climbing | Athlete Profile Veddriq Leonardo claimed Indonesia’s first gold medal of Paris 2024 when he won sport climbing men’s speed in a dramatic final. Leonardo scaled the 15m wall in a personal best of 4.75 seconds to defeat China’s Wu Peng, who clocked 4.77. 14 - 30 July 2028 LA 2028 | Olympic Games | USA