MANILA – Ilonggo cyclist Patrick Coo validated further his rising potential in the discipline after capturing a silver medal in the 2024 Asian Cycling Confederation BMX Championships at Kamol Sports Park in Nong Chok, Thailand.
Coo, who traced his roots to Iloilo City, finished behind Thailand’s BMX ace Komet Sukprasert, who won his third straight Asian championships gold medal as he gears up for the Paris Olympics.
Japan’s Shimada Ryo completed the men’s elite podium of the championships, which was participated by more than 500 athletes in Asia.
“I’m so blessed and I’m happy that all my hard work is paying off,” said the 22-year-old Coo, an Olympic Solidarity scholar who spent most of the year at the UCI World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland for his training, and traveling the globe for his competitions.
Coo’s silver medal finish in Thailand came after his men’s elite bronze medal last year at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the gold medal he captured as a junior rider in the 2019 Asian championships in Malaysia.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who also served as the head of the PhilCycling, extended his congratulations to Coo for his silver medal feat.
“My congratulations to Patrick, he’s been working hard and his dedication and passion for BMX is getting stronger each day,” Tolentino said in a statement.
Coo, for his part, thanked Tolentino and the Philippine Sports Commission for their massive support to his campaign as he aims to secure a slot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics./PN
