BMX Fil-am rider Caluag a thrill-seeker but isn't in for joy ride

LONDON – He’s a thrill-seeker and licensed to thrill.

Danny Caluag, a Fil-American born of Filipino parents, saw again the monster track where he fell a few days back and bruised his shoulders and liked what he saw – a 450-meter track featuring a ride down an eight-meter high ramp, then a dirt circuit that has a banked corner, an S-bend and jumps mark.

‘’Oh, it’s fantastic,’’ Caluag said as he inspected the track inside the Olympic Park with mechanic Stephanie and coach James Richardson.

Then he scanned the playing field and saw the names of big guns who should be the marked men here – No. 3 Joris Daudet of France, No. 4 Marc Willers of New Zealand, No. 5 David Herman of the US and No. 7 Raymon Van der Biezen of the Netherlands.

He is ranked only 84th in the latest UCI rankings because he said he competed in much fewer races than those ahead of him.

The list looks like a who’s who in BMX, which is debuting as a cycling event here. The list starts with No. 1 Sam Willoughby of Australia, second-ranked Connor Fieldes of the US and defending champion Maris Strombergs of Latvia. Ever heard the names?

‘’They’re practically the same people who I know, whom I competed with,’’ said Caluag. “They’re nothing new to me. It’s not like something that I need to be scared of.’’

‘’They’ll be among the favorites. But you can never tell. BMX is a different kind of sport,’’ said Caluag.

More than for the thrill of it, Caluag knows this is no fun ride anymore, more so as he is carrying behind his back a heavy load with the loss of the best bet the Philippines had for the Olympics.

In the course of his long buildup in search of an Olympic berth, Caluag said he had raced with many of the favorites and beat some of them, something that’s giving him the feeling that he won’t disappoint.

‘’The good thing there (US) is you get to compete with these guys often and you get to know how they compete. I know them well,’’ said Caluag.

He aims to put in his best and whatever it takes to win a medal the lean 11-man Philippine team can bring home to the Philippines from the London Games following the harrowing exit of boxer Mark Barriga in the round of 16 of the light flyweight boxing competitions.

“There’s a duty I have to perform. I know it’s tough, but my team has worked it out and we are expecting for the best,’’ said Caluag.

After Barriga, Caluag appears to have the most realistic chance of winning a medal, more so in a dangerous, risky sport where the winner that comes out unscathed and kicking in the finals on Aug.11 will bring home the gold.

“It’s an honor and I’m very aware of that challenge. All my teammates including the two in track and field (Marestella 

Tores and Rene Herrera) who are still competing are very supportive of me. I appreciate it,’’ said Caluag.

Eight Filipinos had gone before him. They are archers Jaime Javier and Rachelle Ann Javier, swimmers Jessie Khing Lacuna (200m freestyle) and Jasmine Alkhaldi (100m freestyle), weighlifter Hidilyn Diaz, skeet shooter Paul Brian Rosario, Fil-Japanese judoka Hoshina Tomohiko and most recently Barriga.

The race on Wednesday at 4:40 p.m. (11:40 p.m. in Manila) determines the seeding for the quarterfinal phase, the actual start of the competition, on Thursday.

“I’ll take it one step at a time. That’s what it is all about, enjoying the moment,” he said.