Having already claimed a qualification spot in the road race at the Rio 2016 Olympics earlier this season, UAE’s top cyclist Yousif Mirza is just as determined to earn a place in track competition at next year’s Games.
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The 27-year-old has just returned from his first major meet since recovering from a motorcycle accident he suffered last May and was thrilled to win a silver medal in the Points race at the ACC Track Asia Cup in Bangkok last Saturday.
Mirza missed out on contesting the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour last week, opting to compete on the track in Thailand instead, where he was hoping to secure qualification for Rio in the Omnium race.
A gold medal would have given him direct qualification to the Olympics but the Emirati ended up placing fourth in that discipline.
Still, his silver medal showing in the Points race earned him some valuable points towards his UCI World Track Rankings, where he is now positioned at No. 20.
The event in Bangkok was the first in a three-stop series of Asia Cups and Mirza has another chance to seal an Olympics berth – in New Delhi next month and Hong Kong in December.
Should he fail to top the podium in the Omnium at those meets, he would have to qualify by finishing inside the top three at next year’s Asian Track Cycling Championships, which will be held in Japan.
“It’s a shame that I missed the Abu Dhabi Tour but I also made sure that I did not return from Thailand empty-handed,” Mirza told Sport360.
“That silver medal was a good boost for me because it gave me a chance to see where my level is at after my accident. The level of competition was very high. I’m feeling good.
“I know I already have a spot in Rio but I really want to qualify in the track because I feel I have a better chance in it. Only 30 people compete in one event on the track, compared to hundreds on the road.”
