PATRICK Coo crashed just six seconds into the Men Elite final of the Thailand BMX Cup 2 on Sunday, missing the podium and Paris Olympics qualifying point offered in the International Cycling Union (UCI) Class 1 event.
Coo, who targeted the gold following his silver medal finish in Jakarta a week ago, crashed after the first table top of the Kamol Sports Park BMX track.
The Filipino-American Asian juniors champion in 2019 hit his head in the crash he described as “hard” and sustained scratches on his right arm and shoulder.
He’s taking all precautions.
“Thank you very much to the Filipinos and (the) national team for checking on me after my hard crash and hit to (the) head,” Coo said. “I seem to be okay but there’s some swelling to it although I’m walking upright.”
Coo, accompanied by PhilCycling off-road coach Frederick Farr, will fly to Manila Monday for medical and physical examinations at the Philippine Sports Commission’s Medical and Scientific Athlete Services unit.
“I hope to be back on the track soon,” added Coo, who finished second to Indonesia’s Gusti Bagus Saputra in the Indonesia BMX 2023 Round 1–also a UCI qualifying race for Paris– at the Pulonas International BMX Center in Jakarta last Sunday.
Thailand national rider Komet Sukprasert won the Men Elite gold medal, followed by Yucheng Chen of the China BMX Racing Team and 76Rider BMX Squad also of the host country.
Coo and Daniel Caluag are hoping to qualify for the Paris Olympics, with the Rio de Janeiro Olympian Caluag focused on securing his ticket to Paris at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
Caluag, 36, won the country’s only gold medal in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games and also owns an Asian Games bronze medal from Jakarta 2018 and Southeast Asian Games gold medal from Naypyidaw 2013, silver from the Philippines 2019 SEA Games and gold from the Singapore 2013 Asian championships.
