Two Filipino athletes, John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman, are on the verge of securing spots in the Paris Olympics after their impressive performances at the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships. Both athletes broke national records, with Tolentino clocking 13.37 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles and Hoffman timing in at 13.34 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Tolentino, a Robotics major from Spain, is determined to meet the Olympic standard of 13.27 seconds. Meanwhile, Hoffman is excelling in the 400m hurdles as well. Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano believes that a total of seven track and field athletes, including pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, have strong chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
One promising athlete to watch is 21-year-old Harvard standout Victoria Bossong, who is close to meeting the Paris cut time in the 800m event. However, Bossong is currently in the process of securing a Philippine passport. The athletes continue to train hard in hopes of representing the Philippines in the upcoming Olympics.
