A BMX Racing track will be built from scratch in the NIA in just one week leading into the competition, replicating all the features of an outdoor BMX track but with capacity to seat an audience of over 4,000 spectators. Three times winner of the UCI BMX World Championships Shanaze Reade said, “I’m looking forward to coming to Birmingham to compete in May. It’s fantastic that Birmingham is hosting the World Championships, and taking another World Championships title would be great preparation before the Olympics. I’m really excited about competing in my home country at major competitions twice next year.”
Councillor Martin Mullaney, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture, said, “With the amazing new Birmingham BMX Track opening earlier this year, BMX is a growing sport in the city, so I’m looking forward to welcoming the top stars in the world to the NIA. “Coming just weeks before BMX features in the Olympics, this is yet another major event to further enhance Birmingham’s reputation as a sporting city.”
Jonny Clay, Event Director for the UCI BMX World Championships said, "The 2012 BMX World Champs is the latest in a string of major events that British Cycling has successfully bid for in recent years. We've already seen the impact of the event here in Birmingham with the creation of the new International BMX facility at Perry Park as part of the legacy of the event and as the event draws closer we're looking forward to giving many more people the chance to participate in and watch the sport of BMX."
UK Sport Events Consultant, Rebecca Edser, said: “UK Sport is thrilled to be supporting the UCI BMX World Championships in Birmingham through our National Lottery funded events programme. This event represents a fantastic opportunity for British athletes to compete on home soil ahead of the London Olympics, as well as providing the final chance for athletes to pick up vital qualification points for the Games. Staging world class sporting events in the UK ahead of 2012 is invaluable and UK Sport is committed to delivering the most comprehensive programme of major sporting events ever staged by an Olympic and Paralympic host nation.”
Almost 3,000 people participate in BMX in the UK, and there are around 70 BMX tracks in use. BMX in Birmingham was put firmly on the map earlier this year, with a new state-of-the-art BMX track built at Perry Park, just one of the legacies of bringing the event to the UK
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.