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Four years ago there was not a single professional rider among this population of 1.3 billion. Now BMX teams are being assembled and trained across the country with almost military precision.

"We poured a lot of resources into developing the sport from scratch," said Jiang.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to include BMX in the 2008 Games in June 2003, giving newfound status to a daredevil hobby that sprang from the sidewalks and beach promenades of California in the 1960s.

Soon American teenagers were racing on self-built tracks, dressed in motocross gear in emulation of the more popular motorized form of the sport. By 1981, the International BMX Federation was founded and, almost two decades later, the buzz seeped into southern China.

At that time, the country only had unconnected groups of enthusiasts, like Zhong Jingren.

"When I first took up BMX in 2002, there were only three or four of us in Nanjing (a city with a population of 7 million)," said Zhong, founder of the Nanjing-based C.B.Fly BMX Club. "My friends and I used to watch videos and learn from each other."

TV programs on the subject spurred Zhong's interest. He connected with others through dedicated foreign websites, buying their cast-off equipment to overcome the prohibitive cost of getting involved in BMX racing.

In China, a still-developing country where the average salary is $1,740 a year, forking out 3,000 yuan ($370) for a decent bike and gear is hardly within everyone's means.

Zhong saw the growing number of riders in huge urban centers like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, then launched a platform for like-minded Chinese by setting up the country's first BMX website: chinabmx.com.

With students in the 16-25 age bracket leading the charge, the total number of registered members jumped from 200 to over 4,000 in two years.

Despite the positive signs, however, there's a big jump (or several) between being an amateur and being a pro, especially as amateurs prefer performing freestyle tricks in front of a camcorder to organized track-based events.

At the 2008 Olympics, racers will have to contend with 350-meter-long circuits laden with jumps, banked corners and other obstacles that challenge the laws of physics.

In a bid to transform the Chinese from newcomers to rank outsiders, the State General Administration of Sport, China's sports governing body, began assembling BMX teams in 2003. Big cities like Guangzhou and Kunming now boast a total of 12 professional BMX tracks

More than 100 cycling coaches and riders from provincial teams have been sent to BMX training camps, with 30 going to Switzerland, home of the UCI, for further instruction.

The country now has 15 provincial teams with over 100 riders. Three national championships are hosted each year, and more international events are coming to China to provide its riders with stiffer competition.