By Duncan Mackay

Mariana Pajón London 2012June 13 - Medellin's bid to host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games has received a significant boost after the city was today chosen to stage the 2016 International Cycling Union (UCI) BMX World Championships. 


The UCI Managament Committee, meeting in Bergen today, awarded the Colombian city the event at the same time as choosing Cairns in Australia to stage the 2017 Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships.

"We're delighted that Medellin, the 'City of the Eternal Spring' in the Andes Mountains, will be our host city in 2016 for the UCI BMX World Championships," said Pat McQuaid, President of the UCI.

"The event will take place on a brand new track built in the city's existing cycling complex."

Medellin is also currently involved in a race with Buenos Aires and Glasgow to host the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games, with many observers considering it to be the favourite. 

Medellin is also the home city of Mariana Pajón (pictured top), who won the Olympic gold medal in the women's BMX at London 2012. 

Smithfield Mountain Biking circuitThe Smithfield Mountain Bike Park was built to host events like the World Championships

Cairns in Queensland had already been selected earlier to host Mountain Bike World Cups in 2014 and 2016.

It previously staged the Mountain Bike World Championships in 1996 but since then the Smithfield Mountain Bike Park has since been built with high-level events in mind.

"In 2017, the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships will be held on the iconic Smithfield course in Cairns," said McQuaid.

"We're certain that the thousands of professional athletes, coming from all around the globe, will relish competing in this beautiful tropical location."

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