MANILA, Philippines – Filipino BMX rider Daniel Caluag was chosen to join the Tokyo 2020 Olympics test event on October 1 to 5.

Caluag, the Philippines’ lone gold medalist in the 2014 Asian Games, is one of 64 riders from the top 28 countries invited by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to test the operations in Ariake Urban Sports Park, where the Tokyo 2020 BMX event will be held. (READ: Daniel Caluag fails to defend Asian Games BMX title)

“The allocation is for Team Philippines [as we] are qualified to send one male elite BMX rider. The final slot [for the Olympics] will be announced after the October event in Japan,” PhilCycling chief and Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino told Rappler. 

The invitation boosts Caluag and the country’s bid to qualify for the quadrennial meet as the Olympic ranking competitions will run until May 2020.

The UCI BMX World Championships, UCI BMX Supercross World Cup stages and continental BMX championships are among the tournaments that serve as Olympic qualifiers for the cycling event.  

Only 24 riders, including the representative of the host country, will advance to the Tokyo 2020 BMX competition. – Rappler.com