THANKS to her solid second-place finish in the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa over the weekend, Fil-American Lauren Hoffmann jumped seven rungs and surged to No. 29 in the women’s 400-meter hurdles World Athletics Olympic qualifying ratings yesterday.
Hoffmann booked a new national and season best record of 55.72 seconds, less than a second off the entry standard of 54.85 seconds, to surge in the rankings of the event where 40 quota places for the Paris Olympics are up for grabs.
Compatriot and reigning Asian women’s 400-meter hurdles queen Robyn Lauren Brown, slipped to No. 43 from No. 39 but she and Hoffmann will have a chance to gain ground when they compete in the Hong Kong Athletics Championships this weekend and next week’s ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the Philsports oval in Pasig City.
“The Philippine Championships will have high ranking points as the country’s national meet so it is going to be an interesting battle for both runners next week,” noted FilAm Sports representative and former Barcelona Olympic Games veteran Ed Lasquete, who will come over to Manila for the meet.
Six-time Southeast Asian Games men’s 400-meter hurdles gold medalist Eric Shawn Cray, who failed to finish in the Drake Relays, also dipped in the WA Olympic rankings to 41st.
But Cray will be just as keen on recovering in the country’s premier track meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association that has now drawn over 1,000 entries from within the country and across Asia, according to Patafa secretary general Jasper Tanhueco.
Aside from Hoffman, Brown and Cray, another overseas national athlete who will compete in the five-day meet is John Cabang, who is based in Spain and won a bronze medal in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in the 32nd Cambodia SEA Games.
It will be an interesting duel between Cabang and two-time SEA Games champion Clinton Bautista, who is keen on regaining his title as the country’s premier 110-meter hurdles champ and has been training hard for the competition.
