PH female riders boost bids for 2024 Paris Olympic slots

By Randy Caluag

FILIPINA riders

Ariana Evangelista and Shagne Yaoyao boosted their bids for Olympic slots following decent performances at the MTB Women Elite XCO World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

Evangelista, the country’s no. 1-ranked female MTB female rider, finished at 57th place, while Yaoyao followed at 58th, earning them 6 and 5 UCI points, respectively.

The total gave them rounded-off 10 nation points, pushing the Philippines forward to its goal of making it to the Top 3 in the Asian ranking.

Currently ranked 4th with 947 points behind Japan, which has 701 points, Thailand (569) and Malaysia (516), the Philippines can earn more points if it participates in more UCI races before the 2024 Paris Olympics’ qualifying deadline ends in April 2024.

It was a wet racecourse and the 25-year-old Evangelista said she could have fared better although she knew she already gave her best in the race.

“Many things didn’t go my way before the event started, but despite all of that, I know I gave all I can give in today’s XCO,” said Evangelista, a threetime national champion.

“I know I did better this year than last year’s World Champs and I am coming back to the Philippines with so many lessons and have learned where I pretty much need to improve on,” she said.

Evangelista and Yaoyao also joined the XCC (Cross Country OlympicShort Distance) earlier, finishing 38th and 39th among 42 entries. But their points have yet to be logged so the Philippines is expected to add more points and inch closer to thirdranked Malaysia.

Evangelista made history in 2012 when she topped the Under-23 at the Asian MTB championships held in Danao, Cebu.