Coo a BMX gold favorite in Thailand after impressive Asian finish
Patrick Coo went home with a bronze medal from the tough Asian BMX championships in Japan over the weekend, a finish that makes him an automatic favorite for the gold in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand that gets going next month.
The national federation for cycling is excited at the prospect of Coo winning as the body can improve on a two-bronze effort cyclists contributed to the medal cache of the Philippines in the Cambodia Games two years ago.
Japanese Asuma Nakai and Ryo Shimada—who both won’t be in Thailand—delivered before home fans at Nagoya Keirin Stadium BMX Race Course in Aichi Prefecture to bag gold and silver, respectively, in the eight-athlete race where Filipino Niño Martin Eday was last.
The event also featured riders from Indonesia, Hong Kong and South Korea.
Conspicuously absent was Thailand ace Komet Sukprasert, who won the race and time trial gold medals the last time BMX racing was on the SEA Games program during the 30th edition in 2019.
“He’s a strong potential for the gold and improve on the two bronze medal our sport got in Cambodia two years ago,” said Bambol Tolentino, the PhilCycling head who is also president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, referring to Coo.
Jeanne Soleil Cervantes, meanwhile, was fourth in the Women Junior race.
