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RIO DE JANEIRO -- BMX racing is growing up at the Summer Olympics.Its that extreme sport where cyclists pedal on bikes over a roughly quarter mile-long course filled with bumps, hills and sharp twists.Lots of action in a race that lasts about 40 seconds. A sport aimed at younger audiences.It is also now filled with a generation of elite riders who have been at it since BMX became an Olympic medal event in Beijing in 2008.Most people in London (at the 2012 Games) were young like me, or 19, 20, so we grew up and stayed at a good level in BMX, said 25-year-old reigning world champion Joris Daudet of France.Now many of those same racers are back at the colorful track in Rio de Janeiro , creating a deep field of experienced riders.On the mens side, the United States features a team that includes 2012 Olympians Connor Fields and Nic Long, and 2012 alternate Corben Sharrah. Australias Sam Willoughby is back after taking silver four years ago.Latvias Maris Strombergs is back to win a third straight gold. At 29, hes a BMX sage.Everybody is focused on this event. Everybody has the experience, too, Daudet said. He had the top time of 34.617 seconds during the mens seeding runs on Wednesday to earn the top seed in the quarterfinals on Thursday.Colombias Mariana Pajon is off to a fast start in defense of her Olympic title, earning the top seed in the womens draw with a time of 34.508 seconds on a warm, muggy afternoon. The women next race on Friday.Australias Caroline Buchanan and the United States Alise Post are other medal favorites who raced in London, and U.S. rider Brooke Crain is also a returnee. Theyre all getting pushed by younger riders who watched them compete four years ago.Its definitely made it a lot more interesting in racing, Post said.BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross, traces its roots to the late 1960s and early 1970s in Southern California. Besides racing, there is also freestyle BMX in which cyclists ride ramps and perform tricks on their bikes.But racing is the discipline that has taken hold at the Olympics. Over the years, its grown from niche activity to X-Games event to an Olympic medal sport.Yeah, people dont ask if we do back flips anymore, Buchanan said. Were not the BMX bandits of the Beijing Games, the first-timers.BMXs inclusion into the Olympics eight years ago prompted other countries to create programs to develop riders. In the cases of smaller nations like Latvia and Colombia, more attention might be paid to a rider once he or she achieves a level of success.The field this year is deeper than ever, Fields said. Another top medal contender is the Netherlands Niek Kimmann, 20, who won time trials at the worlds in May.Now all over the world, Fields said, you have guys who are 18 to 21 years old who are graduates of their respective countrys development program, which is something that in 2008 or 2012, you wouldnt have gotten that same sort of pathway.The United States is consistently a top contender, though cycling in general has not been a top funding priority for the U.S. Olympic Committee, regardless of discipline.That means more international riders have caught up to the U.S cyclists. International World Cup races, in turn, have become more competitive in recent years.That BMX has stuck around for three Olympics is a positive sign for action sports in general. The 2020 Games will add three more action sports to the lineup to attract younger audiences: climbing, skateboarding and surfing.Consider BMX a trailblazer for the growth.One of the few action sports in the Summer Olympic Games, and a good sign that action sports is strong for 2020 now in Tokyo, Buchanan said. So from an action-sports side of things, I think its super positive for the Summer Games.---Online:AP Summer Games site: http://summergames.ap.org/---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP Custom Heat Jerseys . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Wholesale Custom Heat Shirts . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. http://www.customheatjersey.com/ . LUCIE, Fla. Custom Heat T-shirts .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Heat Jerseys China . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. MORRISON, Colo. -- John Force and Tony Schumacher raced to their first victories of the season Sunday in the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.The 67-year-old Force beat daughter Courtney in the Funny Car final between Chevy Camaros. He finished in 3.965 seconds at 319.45 mph to her performance of 3.963 at 314.75. It was his seventh victory at the track and the record-extending 144th of his career. He hadnt won since June 2015 in New Hampshire.I didnt have a monkey on my back, it was a gorilla, said Force, the 16-time season champion who became the oldest driver in NHRA history to win a Funny Car race.Lets face it, the competition is the best Ive ever seen. Its tough to race my little girl there and it was a close one. I can do this game. I love it. I dont have anywhere to go. I am going to keep doing this. I want to keep building this sport.Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel season champion, also busted a lengthy winless streak with his third victory at the track and 82nd of his career. He outran defending season champion Antron Brown in the final with a run of 3.dddddddddddd802 at 324.28. Schumacher hadnt won since July 2015 in Chicago.To win one of these trophies you have to beat some bad dudes, and we beat a bunch of them today from Doug Kalitta to Antron Brown, Schumacher said. Ive enjoyed great moments in racing during my career, but coming back from a huge deficit when people have counted you out like we have done this weekend is the most satisfying to me.Allen Johnson won in Pro Stock, and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle.Johnson won the event for a record seventh time in his 10th consecutive final round appearance at the track, also a record in his category. He powered his Dodge Dart to a 6.982 at 197.34 against Vincent Nobile.Hines became the winningest Pro Stock Motorcycle rider in history, capturing his 45th career win by outrunning teammate Eddie Krawiec. Hines took his third win of the season and fourth at the event with a track-record time of 7.134 at 188.33 on a Harley-Davidson. ' ' '