KEY POINTS:
BEIJING - BMX cyclists may live on the edge but there's one element that stops them in their tracks - rain.
The Beijing Olympics' newest attraction today joined tennis, softball and baseball as weather dependent sports.
Persistent showers have forced the postponement of the men's and women's historic medal races at the Laoshan Moto Cross venue until 1pm (NZT) tomorrow, weather permitting.
Sarah Walker and Marc Willers joined tennis player Marina Erakovic as New Zealanders whose Games' campaign has been stymied by rain.
Javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar's qualifying rounds also never got off the ground at The Bird's Nest, while the decathlon's shot put competition was also delayed, though no New Zealanders are involved.
Games organisers issued an advisory early today that rain has saturated the clay-based BMX layout on the outskirts of Beijing, making racing impractical.
The weather then set in, prompting a decision to postpone the racing for 24 hours.
Should the races go ahead tomorrow they will clash with the women's cross country mountainbiking race, which is also held at the cycling complex at Laoshan.
Walker and Willers smoothly progressed to their semifinals yesterday but now face a potentially similar wait to Erakovic whose first round exit to a Japanese opponent spanned three days due to two rain delays.
- NZPA
