From David Fiedler,
Your Guide to Bicycling.
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BMX -- short for Bicycle Motocross -- is a brand new event this year in the Beijing Olympics and joins road, track, and mountain bike events to make bike racing the most exciting sport in the 2008 Games.

Background

Orginating in California in the late 1960's as a human-powered version of off-road motorcycle racing, BMX features racers who propel themselves on their bikes around a course chock full of jumps, banked turns and sharp curves. BMX moved to Europe from the States in the 1970's and interest in the sport grew rapidly, and the first world championships took place in 1982. With rules becoming formal and more consistent between organizing bodies, BMX racing was officially recognized and sanctioned by the International Cycling Union in 1993, with the International Olympic Committee in 2003 giving its blessing to include BMX as an official event at the 2008 Olympics.

About BMX Competition

Eight riders compete in each heat of the Olympic BMX races, which are held on a track usually around a quarter-mile (350-370 meters) long. Here is a 3-D look at the Beijing track.

In general, riders start from a high drop and then attempt to be the fastest to negotiate their way around these tracks which feature funky jumps, banked corners and other obstacles.

From a field of 32 male riders (16 riders in the women's event) who are invited to compete in the inaugurual BMX event in the 2008 Olympics, the top four finishers in each heat then move up to the next level. This means there are four total rounds in the process to determine who'll be standing on the medalist podium when the dust settles.

Equipment

Riders in Olympic BMX wear helmets, long-sleeved jerseys and pants, and gloves.