Following the test event which took place in August and feedback received from athletes and the UCI, parts of the venue on the Olympic Park have been changed and remodelled.
Changes include a reconfiguration of the first straight and some of the jumps to make the course faster and more competitive, whilst ensuring that safety always remains a priority.
'Covering all the bases'
This week elite riders – many of whom will compete in the Games this summer – got the first chance to train at the BMX Track since the improvements.
British rider Liam Phillips said: 'For me personally I think it’s great. The turns are really good and it’s nice to be riding the surface that we’re familiar with. I can’t wait to race now!'
Australian rider Caroline Buchanan, currently no.1 in the world rankings, said: 'With the changes, the first straight is now a lot more even, the new first corner is really good, and they’ve made the second straight a little bigger so that we come into the tunnel with a lot more speed now.
'They’ve also changed the surface of the track which I think is really good. Just coming here now and seeing the grandstands, they’re really starting to cover all the bases.'
Exciting spectator sport
BMX is set to be one of the most exciting spectator sports during the Games. Following the remodelling work on the track, work is also now underway to install the temporary seating stands for spectators.
Located in the north of the Olympic Park, the BMX Track will host both the men’s and women’s Olympic BMX competitions this summer, with a total of 48 riders competing for two gold medals.
