Ubas enters long jump final

MANILA, Philippines — It is his second straight Asian Games final and his third Asiad overall. After finishing seventh in Hangzhou in 2023 despite entering the final as the No. 3 qualifier, Ubas knows the window is closing.

“Gusto ko talaga maka-produce ng medalya kasi pang-third time ko na ito. Next time, 36 or 37 na ako,” he admitted.

The former national record holder believes he has more left: “Feeling ko may natira pa akong lakas at mag-iimprove pa sa finals. Focus lang, huwag ma-pressure.”

Elsewhere, it was a tougher day.

In the men’s marathon race walk at the Aichi-Nagoya Race Course, Nathaniel Seiler was disqualified at the 24km mark after collecting four red cards – one for knee flexion and three for loss of contact. He was the lone DQ in a seven-man field won by Japan’s Hayato Katsuki in 3:03:36 for the 42km event.

Over the hurdles, Lauren Hoffman’s redemption bid fell short.

The Fil-Am Olympian clocked 57.94 seconds to finish fourth in Heat 1 of the women’s 400m hurdles, ninth overall among 11 entries – missing the final by a single spot. UAE’s Mariam Kareem topped qualifying with a personal best of 55.14s.

“Disappointing. Missed it by one spot. The time wasn’t very good, the execution wasn’t very good,” Hoffman said. She revealed a minor Achilles issue limited her racing after the National Championships.

The 27-year-old, who placed fifth in Hangzhou, may still return for a 4x400m relay stint. Off the track, she has something to celebrate – her fiancé and mother arriving in Japan for their first engagement anniversary ahead