Salamat nails world cycling bronze

CYCLIST Marella Vania Salamat holds up the flag after winning a gold medal. RAFFY LERMA

Showing yet again that she’s the country’s top female rider, Marella Salamat captured a bronze medal in the World University Cycling Championships in Tagaytay City Friday.

Salamat—a gold medalist in the women’s individual time trial (ITT) in the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore last year—checked in third in the 80-kilometer race won by Romy Kasper of Germany.

Kasper led all the way and ruled with a time of two hours, 42 minutes and 48 seconds to complete a sweep of the women’s road events. She also topped the women’s criterium at Canyon Woods on Thursday.

Poland’s Nikol Plofaj wound up a distant second after clocking in four minutes and 12 seconds behind Kasper.

Salamat could have snatched a silver but lost by just a second to Plofaj in a sprint battle.

Ryan Cayubit bagged the gold in men’s criterium also on Thursday at Canyon Woods. Jasmine W. Payo