Olympic hopefuls vie in Athletics Championships

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Olympic hopefuls headed by Lauren Hoffman will spearhead a star-studded cast seeing action in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships slated May 8 to 12 at the PhilSports oval in Pasig.

Hoffman, a 24-year-old Fil-Am hurdler who recently eclipsed the 100m hurdles record, will be one of the national team mainstays – all with a legitimate chance of making the Paris cut – who will see action in the five-day meet that stakes Olympic ranking points from World Athletics.

Spain-based John Cabang Tolentino, Asian champion Robyn Brown and Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Eric Cray, Janry Ubas and Kristina Knott will also compete with an eye on Olympic qualification points.

All five are hoping to advance to Paris via the Olympic standard or make the top 40 in their respective events.

“They will be present,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general Jasper Tanhueco, who was accompanied by special assistant to the PATAFA president Reli de Leon and national coach Joeffrey Chua in yesterday’s PSA Forum sponsored by PSC, POC, San Miguel Corp., Smart/PLDT, Milo and ArenaPlus.

De Leon said they expect around 700 participants from at least nine countries including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand divided into three categories – elite open men and women, Under-20 boys and girls, and U18 boys and girls.