WITH only a month left before the Olympic qualifying season begins, Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) President Terry Capistrano is looking forward for Filipino tracksters to rise to the occasion in three upcoming overseas Olympic qualifiers.
Capistrano is referring to the Asian Athletics Championships on July 12 to 16 in Pattaya, Thailand and the World Athletics Championships on August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary before the 19th Asian Games on September 23 to October 8.
The tournaments are all Olympic qualifying events since the qualification for the 2024 Paris Games begin on July 1 up to June 30 next year.
EJ Obiena and Co. vie for Olympic spots
Asian No. 1 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, Southeast Asia’s long jump king Janry Ubas and six-time 400-m hurdle SEA Games gold medalist Eric Cray are expected to lead the country’s campaign in the three tournaments as they shoot for Olympic berths.
“They will lead the Philippine team at the start of the Olympic qualifying season after winning gold medals in the last Cambodia SEA Games,” Capistrano said, referring to Obiena, Ubas and Cray who won golds in the biennial meet along with the men’s 4x400 relay team.
Now heading to his first year as athletics chief since taking the reign from former president Philip Ella Juico in June 2022, Capistrano expressed faith not only to the medalists but also to those who failed to perform in the last biennial meet.
“Those who did not do well in the last Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh last month will have a chance to improve in the next two upcoming overseas competitions,” Capistrano said.
He expects sending within the vicinity of 20 to 25 athletes and 10 coaches and staff to the Asian Games, noting that the athletes would come from the gold and silver winners at the last SEA Games and from those who would perform well in the Asian Championships and even possibly, the World Championships.
“I believe in my athletes because all of them are pursuing goals beyond the regional SEA Games as they aim to improve their craft,” he said. “They are aware that they have to perform well. That’s why they keep on training hard.”
The Philippine athletics team finished with four gold medals, 10 silvers and eight bronzes in the Cambodia SEA Games.
“It was a bitter sweet experience in my first SEA Games as head of Patafa. There were many photo finishes where we could have won, but overall I gave our campaign a passing grade of 80. We can always do better and we have to keep improving. The SEA Games is not the ultimate goal,” said Capistrano.
SEA Games silver medalist Umajesty Williams (400-m) and Sonny Montonegro Wagdos (5,000-m), women’s silver medalist Joida Gagnao (3,000-m steeplechase), Gennah Malapit (javelin throw) and Sarah Dequinan (heptathlon) will compete in the Asian Championships and Asian Games this year.
Tokyo Olympian Kristina Knott, Kayla Richardson and thrower William Morrison didn’t perform well in the last SEA Games, but will attempt to bounce back in the Asian Championships in July, according to Capistrano.
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