Philippines’ Eric Cray Fails to Qualify in Men’s 400m Hurdles at World Athletics Championships
MANILA, Philippines—Eric Cray finished seventh among nine participants in the initial qualifying heat of the men’s 400m hurdles, ending his campaign at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Cray, who is a six-time Southeast Asian Games champion and record holder, completed the race in 50.27 seconds in heat 2 on lane 6 held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary. Kyron Mcmaster of the British Virgin Islands took the top spot with a time of 48.47 seconds.
Rasmus Magi of Estonia came in second with a time of 48.58 seconds followed by Trevor Bassitt of the United States (48.73) and Wiseman Mukhobe of Kenya (49.10). All four athletes advanced to the semifinal heats.
Cray, who is a former Asian champion and competed in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics, also missed the Olympic qualification time of 48.70 for next year’s Paris Olympics.
On the other hand, Robyn Lauren Brown, another Filipino-heritage trackster like Cray, qualified for the Budapest worlds by winning the recent Asian championships in Bangkok, Thailand. She will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles on Monday.
EJ Obiena, the world’s No. 3 pole vaulter, is set to participate in the elimination round on Wednesday. Obiena made history last year by winning a bronze medal at the Eugene, Oregon edition of the World Athletics Championships.
Obiena, the current Asian champion and record-holder, aims to surpass his third-place finish and compete against world champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden and American Chris Nilsen in the finals on Saturday.
Duplantis holds the world record of 6.22 meters, while Nilsen and Obiena are ranked second and third, respectively.
These developments highlight the participation of Filipino athletes in the global athletic stage, with some athletes aiming to qualify and perform well in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
