READY STEADY TOKYO BMX Racing Held at New Facility (Video Available)
The cycling event (BMX Racing) for the Tokyo 2020 test event "READY STEADY TOKYO" was held on October 11 at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Koto Ward, Tokyo, with approximately 70 male and female athletes from over 20 countries participating.
This sports park is a newly constructed venue for the Tokyo Games. In addition to BMX (racing and freestyle), it is also scheduled to be used for skateboarding. It is one of the main venues for urban sports and is located in front of Ariake Tennis Forest Station on the Yurikamome Line.
BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross, originating in the United States under the influence of motorcycle motocross. In BMX racing, up to eight riders simultaneously launch from an 8-meter-high starting gate, racing downhill through a course with large undulations. They compete for finishing order by executing high jumps and navigating banked corners (berms).
The course is approximately 460 meters long, with the race from start to finish taking only 40 to 50 seconds. Watching the competition live, the riders' jumping power and speed are truly astonishing.
The event, held over a single day from qualifying to the final, saw Romain Mahieu (France) win the men's competition. Sō Sakakibara (Austria) won the women's event.
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