Cycling track on Olympic BMX venue completed (photos attached)

Updated：2007-06-15

(BEIJING, June 14) -- The track project for the BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross) competitions of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was completed on June 5.

Located at Shijingshan District in West Beijing, the bowl-shaped Laoshan BMX Venue covers an area of 1.98 hectares, has a floor space of 3,399 square meters and contains 3,396 seats.

It is the first time in the history of the Olympic Games that the BMX is part of the Olympic sport program. The Laoshan Venue is the first standard Olympic BMX venue.

A climbing ladder to Laoshan Velodrome

The workers used a total of 6,000-8,000 cubic meters of soil to lay the track. After comparing as many as 14 soil samples, the UCI experts found the best one in the soil of Dong'erqi Village, Changping District of Beijing. It has the right proportion of sand and excellent permeability, they concluded.

The UCI (International Cycling Union) dispatched a group of experts to the site to guide the project. As a result of close cooperation with the local constructors, the project was finished on schedule.

Construction of the venue started in December 2006 and it is expected to be completed in July 2007. On August 20 this year, it will host its maiden international event – the UCI BMX World Cup as a test event for the Olympics.

Workers are building temporary seats

The BMX track