Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue, one of the 31 Beijing-based venues for the 2008 Olympic Games, has been completed recently.

In 2008, the venue will give birth to the first ever Olympic BMX gold medal.

From August 20-21, 2007, it will host the Good Luck Beijing 2007 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup competitions, an event to test its preparations for the Beijing Olympics.

Construction of the venue started in December 2006. It is difficult to find two identical BMX tracks in the world, because they are designed according to the current levels of the sport, which is advancing continuously.

Located at Shijingshan District in west Beijing, the venue covers an area of 1.98 hectares and is 300-400 meters in diameter. The track is 10 meter wide at the starting point and 5 meter wide at other points, and it contains jumps, flattops, and other obstacles.

To allow athletes to maintain speed and to facilitate their stunts, the entire track is slightly downhill with a 4 meter decline. There are separate male and female tracks that cross at some points.

In 2003, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made BMX part of the competition program of the 2008 Olympic Games. The BMX event will take place on August 20-21, 2008. The first day will see qualification competitions for men and women.

Although the competitions are one year away, their ticket prices have been decided already. The qualification competitions, and the two rounds of quarter finals on August 20 cost 50 yuan each and the price doubles for the ticket to the rest of the competitions and victory-ceremony on the morning of August 21.

(BOCOG August 15, 2007)