MANILA, Philippines – Jan Paul Morales made the first step toward qualifying in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil after copping a silver medal in the 35th Asian Cycling Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
The 29-year-old Morales, a member of the Phl team that snared a bronze in the team road race, checked in at second out of 12 participants in the 15-kilometer race topped by Iranian Benham Khalili Khos Roshani.
The medal by Morales is the country's first in the biennial race since Paulo Manapul took a silver in the same scratch event and Arnel Quiremit captured a silver also in road race in the 2011 ACC edition in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.
Morales, a sprint specialist who won several stages in the annual Ronda Pilipinas presented by LBC, later said he relied on his experience as a one-kilometer time trial rider by giving it all in the final stretch and outlasted bets from Korea, Chinese Taipei and Iran to clinch a podium finish.
"I had hard time adjusting to cold weather but I used my experience by giving it all in the final stretch, " said Morales in Filipino in an interview with government-owned Sports Radio.
Morales, a native of Marikina who represented Navy-Standard Insurance in past Ronda editions, will compete alongside Alfie Catalan and Arnel de Jesus in another event – the points race – in Day Two hoping to earn more points for him to have a chance to make it to Rio.