Disappointed Caluag sets sights on Olympics

TAGAYTAY CITY—His failure to strike gold in the Southeast Asian Games at home has only given BMX veteran Daniel Caluag added motivation to qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo next year.

The 32-year-old Caluag, the 2014 Asian Games gold medalist in Incheon, Korea, settled for the silver in the BMX track race, losing out to Thailand’s Komet Sukprasert at Tagaytay Oval here.

Caluag missed out on a medal in the BMX time trial on Monday—an event also ruled by the Thai standout.

The results hardly put a dent on Caluag’s confidence as he now sets his sights on making the Olympics for the second time.

Caluag said he would focus his energy on the qualifying race in Houston, Texas, on May 31 next year. He also qualified for the London Olympics via the same event. In the 2016 Games, he missed out on a berth after a disappointing finish in the qualifying event in Colombia.

The BMX standout said having the final qualifying race in Houston works to his advantage as it is closer to his home base in California.

“The track is a public track and I can train for at least two months before the competition,” he added. “I think with the right preparation, anything is possible.” INQ