Rio BMX Course Ready for Competition

(ATR) The Rio de Janeiro city government says the BMX course at the Deodoro Olympic Park is complete.

Part of the X-Park within the Deodoro complex, the course will host both men’s and women’s BMX events during the Games. It is the first part of the Deodoro park to be completed.

From now until Games time, 7,500 temporary seats will be installed for spectators according to a release. BMX cycling will host a test event on Oct. 3-4 to test operations of the completed venue.

After the Games, the BMX course will remain, which will be open to public use and be connected to biking trails in the Deodoro park.

According to Rio 2016, six other venues in the Olympic Park will be ready to host competitions by the end of this year. The three Carioca Arenas, the velodrome, the handball arena and the tennis center, will all open and hold test events in Dec. 2015 and Jan. 2016.

First GB Athletes Selected

Eight sailors have been selected as the first athletes from Great Britain to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Giles Scott in the Finn class, Nick Thompson in the Laser class, Alison Young in the Laser class, Luke Patience and Elliot Willis in the 470 class, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark in the 470 Women class, and Bryony Shaw in the RS: X class were named to Team GB on Sept. 9.

Three of the eight athletes will be making their Olympic debut.

"As one of our most successful medal winning sports it is a fitting that Sailing kick-off our Rio 2016 team announcements," Mark England, chef de mission for Team GB, said in a statement.

"Our focus is on great preparation, great support and great performance and, if we get that right, we will have delivered an environment that will allow the athletes to perform to the best of their ability."

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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