Cray ready to defend sprint, 400m crowns

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Filipino born Eric Cray shoots for the near-impossible – two gold medals in a span of one hour, 20 minutes – as the track and field competitions, centerpiece event of the Southeast Asian Games, cracks up today at the KL Sports City here.

Cray, born in Olongapo of an American father and Filipino mother, is scheduled to compete for the gold in the century dash and 400m hurdles and said he is not pressured upon learning of the schedule and stressed he would just have to do it to bring honor to the country.

“I have been told of the schedule but if that is the case (tight schedule), I am up to the task, I’ll go there and run because I prepared hard for this,” said Cray upon his arrival here in time for the opening ceremonies Saturday night.

The pressure seems to build up on the athletics team of Popoy Juico who earlier announced his other gold medal hopeful, pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, had hurt his left knee in practice back in Manila. He needed six months of recovery and rehab and is definitely out of the team for this SEA Games.

Obiena holds the new Philippine record of 5.61 meters which exceeds the gold-medal winning mark of  5.31 meters of Thai Purahong Poranot.

Patrick Unso, who was complaining of a recurring hamstring, is also not competing. That rules out a chance in the 110m hurdles where he was bronze medalist in 2015 and the 4x100 meter relay, considered to be the new version of the “Bicol Express” of the 70s with Trenten Anthony Beram as anchor.

In the absence of SEAG sprint queen Kayla Richardson, her twin sister Kyl will take her place along with Fil-Am Zion Rose Nelson.

If Cray advances to the 400m hurdle finals at 8:20 p.m. from today’s heats at 4 p.m., he needs recovery of one hour and 20 minutes before he runs in the 100m finals.

With Obiena, Unso and Kayla Robinson out, and men’s hammer thrower Caleb Stuart not defending his title, the Philippines will be pinning its hopes on the rest of its 38-strong  track and field team.

Aries Toledo starts his medal quest in the decathlon.

Others competing in today’s finals are Rosie Villarito and Evalyn Palabrica in the javelin throw.

The Philippines has no competitors in today’s men’s discus throw, 20,000m walk and shotput and women’s 400m hurdles.