BMX race postponed until Friday

BEIJING (Reuters) - Semi-finals and final races in the men's and women's BMX competition have been postponed until Friday due to rain, officials said.

Heavy rain from the early hours of Thursday soaked the dirt course and cycling officials determined that it would be too dangerous to run the competition.

"In consideration of the fairness of the competition, and after negotiation with the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) technical delegate, as well as Beijing Olympic Broadcasting, the competition schedule will now run from 9:00 until 11:00 on 22 August," said a statement from Laoshan cycling officials.

The change means the men's and women's BMX and the women's mountain biking finals will all be held on Thursday.

Riders said they were disappointed that they would have to wait for competition, after getting mentally and physically prepared to race.

But one rider -- American Kyle Bennett -- was thankful for the extra time, after dislocating his shoulder in a high-speed crash in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

"I think a day off wouldn't hurt," said Bennett, who got back on his bicycle and rode off the course after a doctor popped his shoulder back in.

Bennett qualified for the semi-finals despite the crash because he had finished second and fourth in the first two of three quarter-final runs.

"It's going to be tough to race," he said in an interview. "The plan is to do everything I can do to prepare it for tomorrow."

Bennett, a pre-race medal favorite along with his two team mates, said the rain made the asphalt curves and the steep, three-storey high starting ramp too dangerous to ride.

The American said he and the other riders will have a hard time sitting around waiting for another day to race.

"The anticipation kind of gets to you when you have to sit around," Bennett said. "But who knows, sometimes it works out for the best."

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)