Coo bags bronze at Asian BMX Championships, eyes SEA Games gold
Filipino BMX rider Patrick Coo clinched the bronze medal at the Asian BMX Championships held over the weekend in Aichi Prefecture, Japan — a strong showing that boosts the country’s hopes for a gold medal finish at the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.
“It’s a strong prelude for Patrick to win the gold medal in Thailand which are a little over a month away,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who also serves as head of PhilCycling.
Tolentino added that Coo’s performance further strengthens the Philippines’ chances to improve on its cycling results from the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, where Ronald Oranza took home two bronze medals in road racing.
Japanese riders Asuma Nakai and Ryo Shimada dominated the event on home soil at the Nagoya Keirin Stadium BMX Race Course, capturing gold and silver, respectively. Filipino teammate Niño Martin Eday placed eighth in the eight-man final.
Notably absent from the competition was Thailand’s Sukprasert, the 2019 SEA Games double gold medalist in BMX racing and time trial, setting the stage for what could be an exciting showdown in Thailand next month.
