Medal hopes pinned on Caluag

LONDON – Whether the Philippine delegation of 11 athletes returns home with a medal or not will depend on how Fil-Am Danny Caluag fares in the BMX cycling motocross event starting this afternoon at the specially-constructed track adjacent to the Velodrome in the Olympic Park here.

Some 6,000 fans are expected to witness the second staging of the BMX competition in the Olympics. BMX made its Olympic debut in Beijing four years ago and is the closest thing to an extreme sport in the calendar. There are 32 riders in the men’s event and Caluag is the only Asian qualifier. No country is allowed more than one rider.

Competition is on a short, 450-meter outdoor track where riders kick off on an eight-meter-high ramp to do their routine down the steep slope before negotiating tight turns and jumps. The first day of action features a time-trial seeding process where each rider will attempt to complete the circuit once within 40 seconds to determine positioning for the next round. This ensures that the fastest riders do not meet before the finals.

The quarterfinals are scheduled tomorrow and the semifinals and finals the day after. The quarterfinals are held over five runs with four heats of a maximum eight riders. For each run, points are awarded according to places. After the first three runs in each quarterfinal, the top two riders in every heat with the lowest total points will advance to the semifinals. The remaining riders in each heat will continue for two additional runs and the top two from each heat, calculated from all five runs, also qualify for the semifinals.

The two semifinals will be held over three runs with the best four riders from each qualifying group moving to the finals. Points are awarded for each run according to places. The finals are held over a single run. Bikes are usually built with a solitary gear, one break and 20-inch wheels about 2/3 of the size of an ordinary road bike. While multiple gears and front brakes are allowed, riders prefer a single gear and only rear brakes to reduce the weight of the bike. Winning requires skill, speed and guts as riders tackle a challenging track that includes tight banked turns called berms.      

Writers David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton, in their book “How To Watch the Olympics,” said, “While mountain biking was the new mainstream, BMX bikes had more of a cult following…these small-wheeled, single-geared bikes (were) first ridden in Santa Monica, California, in the late 1960s and are prized for their lightness and maneuverability, qualities that account for the huge BMX freestyle trick-riding scene.”

The BMX track was the last structure to be completed in the Olympic Park. It took six months to build. Around 14,000 cubic meters of soil was required for the track which was used for the third round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup last year.

Caluag, 25, is in town with coach Jason Richardson and mechanic Stephanie Barragan who also happens to be his wife. “Stephanie is my rock and helps me with whatever I need,” said Caluag. “She knows what to do. Coach Jason is my sports psychologist and helps me to mentally prepare for this type of event. Stephanie is an elite women NBL champion and has been in the sport for over 20 years. Coach Jason is a multi-national champion and has competed professionally for over 18 years. With this knowledge and support system, they will help me compete at my best.”

The 5-6, 170-pound Caluag said BMX is not a sport of timing. “It’s a sport of tactical and all-out speed,” he said. “Eight riders are on the track and the fastest wins. BMX is all about getting the best gates and going as fast as you can and holding your momentum through the course of the track. Height and weight don’t play that big of a difference. It’s all about strength to weight ratio. The stronger you are and the lighter you are, the faster you go. I’m proud to represent my country in the Olympics which is the biggest stage and I’m happy to be wearing the Philippine flag on my back. I couldn’t do this without all the support from my wife Stephanie, my family on both sides, Mayor Bambol Tolentino, Smart Communications and of course, the Filipino community. They all help lift me up and race at my best.”

Caluag’s father Daniel, 57, is from Bulacan and migrated to Guam at an early age and eventually settled in California. He is employed as a respiratory therapist. His mother Isabelita Manabat, 58, is from Nueva Ecija and migrated to California in the 1980s. She is a registered nurse. Caluag has a brother Christopher, 23, a civil engineer.