(BEIJING, August 19) -- The growing popularity of BMX has seen the sport finally arrive on the Olympic stage, with its debut at the Games on Wednesday, August 20.

　　BMX, an acronym for Bicycle Moto Cross, has its roots in the late 1960s, southern California scene when teenagers started to imitate the booming Moto Cross (motorcycle) scene with modified, 'tricked out' bicycles.

　　The sport brings a wild flair packed with youthful energy and colorful characters. Tattoos and piercings are commonplace. One Australian rider formerly known as Jaime Hildebrandt legally changed his name to Kamakazi.

　　Stadium seating ensures a rowdy setting for what should be one of the big hits in cycling Olympic competition.

　　Thirty-two men and 16 women will slice down a twisting, descending course loaded with technical jumps, banked turns and other obstacles designed to push athletes to the maximum in a test of speed, agility and endurance.

　　Eight riders compete head-to-head in seeding runs, with the top four qualifying for the next phase of competition. The medals will be decided on placings in the finals.

　　In the men's field, a strong US team is expected to be in the hunt for medals.

　　American Kyle Bennett is a three-time world champion back to full strength after coming off an injury late in the 2006 season. Also a top-level softball player, Bennett's toughest competition could come from his own team.

　　Mike Day (USA), a two-time world championship medalist, and Donny Robinson (USA) are both consistent international performers. Day is the tallest athlete at 1.91m, while Robinson the smallest at 1.65m.

　　The Australians bring a solid, three-man team led by Jared Graves, Kamakazi and Luke Madill, who made it into the 2008 world championships semifinal after returning from a broken back suffered during the 2006 Australian national championships.

　　Latvian Maris Strombergs is the reigning world champion and leads a new generation of European riders challenging the established United States.

　　Two-time world champion Thomas Allier of France and veteran Robert de Wilde of the Netherlands, world champion in 1999, are both older athletes who are extra motivated for a one-time shot at Olympic gold.

　　Michal Prokop of the Czech Republic, a consistent performer in mountain bike downhill, and South African Sifiso Nhlapo, a rare African cyclist who scored bronze at the 2008 world championships, are both outsiders for a medal.

　　On the Women's side, Shanaze Reade of Great Britain looks to be the rider to beat.

　　The 19-year-old is the two-time defending world champion and has been the marquee athlete on the world circuit. She races in Cycling Track to stay in shape and was a key member of the Women's Team Sprint world championship gold medal teams in 2007 and 2008.

　　At 30, Anne-Caroline Chausson of France is the oldest athlete in women's competition, but the former mountain bike downhill queen will be a favorite for a medal.

　　In 1993, she hung up her BMX bike to begin racing on the mountain bike downhill circuit, which she dominated until retiring. She came out of retirement in 2007 to return to BMX once it became an Olympic sport and won silver at the 2008 BMX world championships.

　　Sarah Walker of New Zealand is an up-and-coming rider hitting stride just in time for the Olympic Games. She won Silver in the 2008 world championships and bronze in the 2007 worlds.

　　American Jill Kintner is former world No. 1 who has refocused on BMX after switching back from mountain bike racing.