ILONGGA rider Ariana Dormitorio got an invite to join the World Cup-bound squad following her impressive showing at the UCI World Training Center in Switzerland recently.
Ariana’s father-coach Donjie Dormitorio said in a radio interview that the Iloilo City native was offered the opportunity to join the WCC squad for next year’s World Cup series in Europe.
“We will discuss with the sponsors thoroughly if she will accept the offer for World Cup stints next year,” Donjie told Radyo Pilipinas 2. “A stint in the World Cup will be helpful for her in earning more UCI (World Cycling Union) points for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
Aside from joining the World Cup, the 22-year-old Ariana was offered extension training for a month in Switzerland but cannot accept it due to her upcoming Asia MTB Series tournament.
“The UCI coaches were impressed with Yana’s talents and skills that she was offered to train for another month but her visa will expire already before that extension ends,” Donjie said.
“Also, Yana will have an upcoming tournament – the final two legs of the Asian Moutainbike Series that will be played in Brunei and Tambunan, Malaysia,” added the coach.
Dormitorio is the No. 1 women’s elite Olympic cross country rider in Asia with 320 UCI points, based on latest rankings.
But the Ilongga rider was coming from an uneventful stint for the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, where she failed to finish the race due to injury.
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At a young age of 12, Negrense swimmer Alexi “Apple” Cabayaran is now a brand ambassadress after being signed by famous swimming gear brand FINIS Philippines.
The Silay City, Negros Occidental native gained the interest of the brand with her impressive showing in the 2018 Palarong Pambansa and her qualification in the Southeast Asian Games age-group competitions.
Cabayaran, mentored by Edmon Chua, was already an achiever at the age of 9 when she saw action and won medals in Palaro and several age-group competitions.
Recently Cabayaran won gold medals in nine events during the 4th Don Generoso Villanueva Sr. Age Group Swim Invitational Championship at the Sta. Fe Resort in Bacolod City.
The Negrense swimmer also dominated the last Milo swimming competition by winning gold medals in nine events and shattering Milo records in 400m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and 100m butterfly.
“I felt very happy being chosen to be part of FINIS. I’m more determined to work harder to reach my dream and become a national swimmer and represent the country,” said Cabayaran./PN
