Making just its second appearance at the Olympic games, BMX is the most recent discipline to be included as a part of the Olympic schedule.

Inspired by motocross BMX started in the 1960s in California and quickly grew in popularity not only in the US but internationally as well.

BMX takes place on a short track covered in jumps, hairpin turns and obstacles that elite riders must overcome in order to be successful. At the start of each race the eight competitors take off from an 8 meter high ramp and must keep up a blistering pace as races last around 40 seconds.

The young cycling sport debuted during the Beijing 2008 games, and despite its origins the Americans failed to claim gold. The first gold medals in BMX went to Latvian rider Maris Strombergs and  France's Ann Caroline-Chaussen.

Races begin on Wednesday August 8 with both a men's and women's seeding phase during which the riders will run the course once to determine their seed for the following races. After seeding, the women move right to the semi-finals, and the men begin the quarterfinals.

The men's quarterfinals consist of five races with points earned based on the position a rider finishes in. The top two finishers from each run advance to the semis. During the men's and women's semi-finals the top four riders from the three runs move on for a chance at Olympic gold.

NLS readers be sure to tune in, as this could be one of the most exciting events. BMX makes the inclusion of other extreme sports like skateboarding a real possibility. Maybe before long sports common in the XGames will have a chance to shine on the Olympic stage.