Olympic mountain bike course changed

 　　LONDON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- London 2012 organisers have announced changes to the Olympic mountain bike course, after feedback from competitors in last year's test event, the BBC said here on Wednesday.

　　Parts of the course, set in the grounds of Hadleigh Castle in Essex, will be widened to allow more opportunities for athletes to pass.

　　New features have been added to further increase the course's difficulty.

　　The main climb has been extended and a new feature has been added with an extended climb to reach it.

　　Several parts of the course, including the switchback climbs, have been widened and a new climb has been added into the start loop which will be used on the first 4.7km lap of the races.

　　The changes came after feedback from the mountain bike test event last July.

　　London 2012 organisers, Locog, gave the riders a questionnaire to complete after the test event, and said amendments¹ would be made after criticims that the course was too flat and narrow.

　　Debbie Jevans, Locog's director of sport, said she was confident the largely man-made course would be one of the most technically² challenging courses at an Olympic Games, and as competitive as possible due to the increased number of places where competitors could pass each other.

　　"It is wider and higher than for the test event and with the stunning³ setting of Hadleigh Farm we are looking forward to a world-class Olympic event," she said.

　　Some 36 coutries and regions are expected to take part in the London 2012 mountain bike competition; the men's race on 12 August will have 50 riders, and the women's race a day earlier will have 30 competitors.

1 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。