Manila – Ilongga mountain bike rider Ariana Dormitorio and BMX rider Daniel Caluag could add up to the list of Filipinos competing in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling) said.
PhilCycling MTB and BMX commission head Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez said that both Dormitorio and Caluag are still in striking distance as they are in the top five of the UCI-Asia rankings in their respective events.
Dormitorio is currently at fourth spot in the Women’s Olympic Cross Country Asian rankings, just 70 points behind the third running Iran and 90 points off the second placer China. A Japanese rider is at no. 1 spot.
Caluag, who is aiming for his second consecutive Olympics stint after qualifying in the London Olympics, sits at fifth place among Asian riders in the BMX category.
“Ariana and Daniel must perform well in the two remaining Olympic Qualifiers next year,” Rodriguez said in Radyo Pilipinas 2 interview. “They are still within striking distance to make it to the Olympics.”
If ever both Dormitorio and Caluag will fall short, Rodriguez said that another option for the two’s qualification is if any of the riders ahead of them could not compete in the Olympics.
So far, only four Filipino athletes have secured berths in the Tokyo Games, namely, world gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, and boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno./PN
