Work has started on the construction of the London 2012 Olympic Games BMX track after the completion of the velodrome last week.
The BMX track sits alongside the velodrome in the Olympic Velopark and, like the velodrome, will form a key part of the Games' legacy Velopark to be used long after the Games have finished.
However, unlike the velodrome, the BMX park will be reconfigured after the Games to remove the temporary 6,000-spectator capacity seating and the track will be re-made to accommodate a wider range of abilities rather than just top-level riders.
"With the construction of the Velodrome now completed, the start of work on the BMX track is the next piece in the jigsaw of delivering a world-class cycling legacy from the Games," said Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt.
"The BMX Track will be a first-class venue for the world's best riders in 2012 and after the Games, the reconfigured course will be a great facility for people of all ages and abilities to try out this exciting and growing sport."
Seb Coe, London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) chairman, added: "We always said the Games should inspire change, and the BMX Track will add a world-class facility to the Velopark for elite competitors next summer and for community users of all abilities in legacy.
"This will be an exceptional venue for this exciting and energetic young sport further enhancing London 2012's legacy for cyclists in the UK."
The BMX track is 400 metres in length and includes jumps and berms to test the riders.
Last week, LOCOG announced that a round of the UCI Supercross BMX World Cup series would take place on the BMX track on August 19-20, 2011 as a test event prior to the Games.
Current BMX world champion Shanaze Reade will be hoping to score gold for Britain in 2012 after the disappointment of missing out in the 2008 Olympic Games BMX finals in Beijing when she crashed out of the race. French woman Anne-Caroline Chausson went on to win gold. Latvian Maris Strombergs won the men's event.
BMX made its debut in 2008 as an Olympic sport.
Related links
2012 Olympic cycling test events announced
Olympic road race route officially revealed
Hoy and Coe hail magnificent Olympic velodrome
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