Cyclist Daniel Caluag, the last Filipino athlete in contention in London 2012, bowed out in the quarterfinals of the men’s BMX competition to end the fruitless Philippine campaign in this year’s Games.
A big spill in the first run of Heat 3 allowed Caluag to salvage fifth place. He finished seventh in the second run, before going sixth in the third run to end up with 18 points.
The top two cyclists after the first three runs, Australia’s Marc Willers and France’s Joris Daudet, booked an early ticket to the semifinals, leaving Caluag with five other competitors for two more semis slots in Heat 3.
But Caluag couldn’t make a rally in the fourth run, finishing fifth among six riders. He ended the contest with a sixth-place finish in the fifth run, to place tied for last in Heat 3.
The Filipino-American Caluag, the only Asian to qualify for BMX in London, followed the footsteps of Mark Javier, Rachel Anne Cabral, Hidilyn Diaz, Brian Rosario, Jessie Khing Lacuna, Jasmine Alkhaldi, Tomohiko Hoshina, Mark Anthony Barriga, Marestella Torres, and Rene Herrera.
Barriga was the only Filipino athlete able to stave off elimination after beginning the knockout round of his campaign.
The Philippines has not won a medal in the Olympics since Onyok Velasco’s silver in boxing in Atlanta 1996.
Source : InterAKTV
