iBikeRide.com

Beijing, Wednesday 20 August

Spared the rain forecast for this morning, BMX has completed its first day of Olympic competition. Initially the atmosphere was one of curiosity, but this soon changed to enthusiasm among the sizeable crowd who turned out for an historic Olympic occasion.

Thus a new discipline was welcomed to the competition programme. Just as in Atlanta in 1996, when mountain biking made its Olympic debut, the International Olympic Committee has confided cycling the privilege and great responsibility of inaugurating a new Olympic sport. Without doubt, BMX, with its dynamic, modern qualities, is ready to seize this unique opportunity. And if today's qualification rounds have already captivated the spectators at the Laoshan complex, tomorrow morning's finals promise us a whole host more excitement: BMX fans, your day has finally arrived!

This afternoon, the whole family of cycling met in a central Beijing hotel to celebrate cycling’s links with the Olympic Movement that go back over 100 years. To an audience including many IOC members, Presidents of National Olympic Committees and International Federations, the UCI President Pat McQuaid emphasised the universality and social value of the sport of cycling. The fundamental characteristics of cycling mean that it has rightly been considered a pillar of the Olympic Movement since the inception of the modern Games.

After sharing the Olympic memories and emotions of great champions including Paolo Bettini, Julien Absalon and Gunn-Rita Dahle in a special film shown for the occasion, the guests at the UCI celebration mixed and chatted with track legends including Daniel Morelon and Florian Rousseau, and medal winners from the previous day's track events: Juan Curuchet and Walter Perez, the Argentinian winners of the madison, and Chinese star Guo Shuang, who won bronze in the women's sprint.

It was a time for meeting friends old and new; a gathering particularly appreciated by all friends and admirers of cycling.

Source: uci.ch

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