Holly THORPE
The Asian X Games took place in Shanghai in 2007 and the 2008 Olympic Games launches BMX racing as an official medal sport, joining “extreme” events such as mountain biking and canoe and kayak slalom. The inclusion of BMX, much like the inclusion of snowboarding at the 1998 Winter Olympics, is a way for the International Olympic Committee to appeal to a younger generation, and in addition to medal events the IOC has made action- and extreme-sports demonstrations part of the Games. This exposure will no doubt increase the visibility of extreme sports in China, but no one knows whether this will lead to active participation — or simply to more interest in extreme sports products and events.
