News The Rio de Janeiro city government unveiled on Sunday (30 August) the finished course for the Olympic BMX Centre for the Rio 2016 Games The venue, under construction since July 2014 as part of Deodoro Olympic Park, is the first to be delivered in 2015, with a further six due to be completed this year at Barra Olympic Park The course will be put to the test for the first time in October when it hosts the International BMX Cycling Challenge, the test event for the sport Built out of grit with a thin layer of asphalt on the bends, the track covers a total area of ​​around 4000m² The men will race over 400m while the women’s event will be contested over 350m For extra adrenaline, the bumps on the track were spaced 10m apart, which will allow competitors to adapt their strategy depending on their ability The safer choice will be to ride more slowly and keep the bike’s wheels on solid ground, while the more daring will use the bumps to get some air and gain speed A “rhythm section” near the end, comprising a series of jumps and small obstacles, will let the cyclist get into the flow in the final stretch The Olympic BMX Centre will have a temporary grandstand with seating for 7,500 spectators, due to be installed closer to the Games The venue will form part of the X-Park along with the mountain bike and canoe slalom venues The site will remain as a major sporting and social legacy for the area after the Games As in Deodoro, preparations for the Games continue at full steam at Barra Olympic Park, where six venues will be ready in this year: Carioca Arenas 1, 2 and 3; the Future Arena; Olympic Tennis Centre; and Rio Olympic Velodrome Both the Barra and Deodoro Olympic Parks are already more than 80 per cent complete