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BMX to replace two cycling events in 2008 Olympics
By ERICA BULMAN The Associated Press
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) - Bike Moto Cross, otherwise known as BMX cycling, will be added to the
program for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
One women's and one men's BMX race will replace two track cycling events, yet to be determined, in a
bid to attract younger audiences.
IOC president Jacques Rogge called it a ``new, spectacular event.''
``We believe that this introduction will definitely enhance the Olympic program,'' he said.
The two new races won't increase the number of events or athletes in Beijing, Rogge said.
Rogge said the International Cycling Union was studying which two events in the current program were
the least popular and would be replaced by BMX.
Racing on small stunt bikes, four BMX riders start together and negotiate a jumps-and-bumps obstacle
course, built on dirt in the center of the velodrome track.
An elimination process will see the fastest in each heat advancing to the next round. The heats are
expected to take less than a minute each.
The introduction of BMX is an attempt to attract the interest of a younger generation, much like the
addition of snowboarding in 1998 and freestyle skiing in the early '90s.
Two sports, triathlon and taekwondo, were added for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but there is
increasing pressure to cut rather than add sports.
Since his election as IOC president in 2001, Rogge has been pushing to contain spending and
``gigantism'' in the Olympics.
By ERICA BULMAN The Associated Press
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) - Bike Moto Cross, otherwise known as BMX cycling, will be added to the
program for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
One women's and one men's BMX race will replace two track cycling events, yet to be determined, in a
bid to attract younger audiences.
IOC president Jacques Rogge called it a ``new, spectacular event.''
``We believe that this introduction will definitely enhance the Olympic program,'' he said.
The two new races won't increase the number of events or athletes in Beijing, Rogge said.
Rogge said the International Cycling Union was studying which two events in the current program were
the least popular and would be replaced by BMX.
Racing on small stunt bikes, four BMX riders start together and negotiate a jumps-and-bumps obstacle
course, built on dirt in the center of the velodrome track.
An elimination process will see the fastest in each heat advancing to the next round. The heats are
expected to take less than a minute each.
The introduction of BMX is an attempt to attract the interest of a younger generation, much like the
addition of snowboarding in 1998 and freestyle skiing in the early '90s.
Two sports, triathlon and taekwondo, were added for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but there is
increasing pressure to cut rather than add sports.
Since his election as IOC president in 2001, Rogge has been pushing to contain spending and
``gigantism'' in the Olympics.
