by Nick Giongco
Mountain biker Ariana Dormitorio admits making the cut for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is going to be an uphill battle but she is upbeat of her chances.
Ranked No. 1 in Asia, the 21-year-old Dormitorio is looking at winning the gold medal in the Asian Continental championships in Lebanon as the perfect opportunity to realize that life-long dream.
“This is what we’ve been training for,” she said during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel in Ermita, Manila.
“I have a great fighting chance of winning in Lebanon. I do have a big chance of winning gold,” she said.
The Lebanon bikefest will be Dormitorio’s last chance of making the Olympic grade and she is focused on doing just that as she breathes, eats and sleeps biking 24/7.
“This is the final stretch in this crucial year,” Dormitorio said.
Apparently, Dormitorio could end up getting an Olympic invite via the wild card format, something that doesn’t really appeal to her.
“Yeah, you can still go to the Olympics but it entails other things.”
Meanwhile, the Gilas women’s basketball team is likewise zeroing in on making a splash when the country hosts the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
