Olympics-IOC approves addition of BMX for Beijing Games
(Reuters)
Updated: 2003-07-01 09:57

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday it has approved the addition of men's and women's BMX cycling for the Beijing Games in 2008.

IOC President Jacques Rogge told a news conference during the IOC's Executive Board meeting that the International Cycling Federation would drop two of its events to add BMX, or bike moto-cross, to the competition.

"It (BMX) will not add anything in terms of the number of athletes," Rogge said, adding that the Cycling Federation had yet to decide which two events would be dropped to make room for BMX.

Rogge noted that the overall number of events for competition at Beijing will remain at 300.

A number of so-called "extreme sports" have been added to the Olympics in recent years, including triathlon and mountain biking to the Summer Games, and snowboarding to the Winter Games.