Most Olympic BMX teams have trained at World Cycling Centre

Most of the nations that have qualified for the BMX discipline at the Beijing Olympic Games have trained on the BMX track at the World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland.

Last week, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced the nations qualified for the BMX, which will make its Olympic début in Beijing.

Of the 17 nations qualified in the men's category, 13 have trained on the BMX track at the World Cycling Centre this year. And 9 of the 11 qualified nations for the women's event have also been on at least one training camp in Aigle in 2008.

The WCC track has been modified to resemble that which the athletes will encounter in Beijing, and National Federations have made good use of it, often on more than one occasion.

Last week, the French Olympic team of four pilots and four reserves came to Switzerland for the first of four training camps before the Olympic Games. The two Danish athletes qualified for the Olympics, Amanda Sørensen and Henrik Baltzersen, arrived at the WCC on June 13 for a 10-day training camp, the first of three in preparation for the Olympics. They will be followed by an eight-strong Italian contingent from June 25 to 27, Canada's Jim Brown (June 1 - July 2) who will prepare the Canadian Olympic selection race, and three athletes from Belgium (July 8-11).

Para-cyclists from three countries are also making use of the WCC facilities, including the fitness room and indoor track, this month: New Zealand from May 28 to June 4, Great Britain (June 10-13) and Italy (June 17-18).

(Credit: ITTF. Click here for further information.)