AFTER months of lying low, BMX rider Daniel Caluag finally made a visible effort to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics as he sees action in 2016 UCI BMX World Championships in Medellin, Colombia from May 25 to 29.
A podium finish, which is a remote chance, will land him a place in the Top 32 of the Olympic ranking in the elite category.
“Hopefully, pasok siya sa Top 32. We got to register him there,” said PhilCycling deputy secretary general Kamille Sumagui following Wednesday’s general assembly of the Philippine Olympic Committee at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong.
Not much was heard of from Caluag after he claimed the country’s only gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games.
His campaign for the Olympics started last January in two events in the United States.
The 29-year-old Caluag is expected to be in Medellin this week with many BMX riders from all over the world to check out the UCI World Championships’ track.
Caluag’s category is set on Sunday, with Niek Kimmann of the Netherlands and Stefany Hernandez of Venezuela defending their titles in the Elite classes.
Many top racers have been dealing with injuries the past few months, including Americans Brooke Crain and Connor Fields.
A podium finish will give the winners a qualification spot for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in August, adding to the importance of this year’s UCI BMX Worlds.
Philippine Olympic Committee spokesman Joey Romasanta, however, said Caluag’s chances of making it to Rio is difficult at this point, with their May 31 deadline to submit a list of Filipino qualifiers to the Olympics just around the corner.