By MARK REY MONTEJO
The Philippine national team members are in a race against time as they continue to fight for their spots in the qualifying list for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hurdlers John Cabang-Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman are leading the pack of Filipinos on track of making it to the Summer Games slated July 26 to Aug. 12 as they look to tighten their grips on their spots inside the ranking cutoff with a few weeks left before the deadline.
The 22-year-old Cabang is poised for a slot under the World Athletics Olympics qualifiers as he currently holds 1250 points for 28th place in his class where only the top 40 hopefuls are eligible to compete.
That ranking is buoyed by his impressive performance so far, the latest, when he ruled the men’s 110m hurdles event of the 26th Trofeo de Atletismo Ciudad de Salamanca Memorial Carlos Gil Perez.
On the other hand, Hoffman has 1218 points and is ranked 32nd in the women’s 400m hurdles alongside her teammate Robyn Brown, who was fresh from two wins in Canada and currently sits at 40th with 1188 points.
The two are within the 40 quota places for the Paris Games although Brown needs to maintain or further increase his placing for a higher chance of qualifying. There will be no conflict if ever Hoffman and Brown qualified as Olympics allows a maximum of three quota per country in certain events.
Likewise, Tokyo Olympian Kristina Marie Knott is on the verge of returning in the quadrennial meet after amassing 1174 points in the women’s 200m. She is at the 39th spot, very well inside the Top 48 that will qualify.
Meanwhile, going for a final push in the coming weeks is Rio Olympian Eric Cray who is hoping to barge into the Top 40 in the men’s 400m hurdles to qualify. The pride of Olongapo City is at 49th place with 1202 points.
In a similar situation is PH leaper Janry Ubas, who carries 1179 points at 39th, is required to reach 32nd place to enter the Paris gates.
Their events’ deadline is on June 30 while all events for athletics are closing on July 7.
As of now, the athletics has only sole athletics representative in pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who will join hands with 14 other Filipino athletes in the City of Love.
