By: The Associated Press (AP)
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday is the first day of the BMX competition.

— Bicycle moto cross - or BMX - started in California in the late 1960s

— The International BMX Federation was founded in 1981

— BMX is the newest cycling discipline in the Olympics. It first appeared on the program at the Beijing games in 2008

— BMX races take place outdoors and include jumps and tight corners

— In a typical race, eight riders compete in heats. The top four then qualify for the next round

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