PATAFA wants more Tokyo qualifiers

MANILA, Philippines — A breakthrough may be in the offing as the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, Inc. (PATAFA) hopes to send at least six athletes to the Tokyo Olympics next year with pole vault qualifier E. J. Obiena leading the charge. If the quota is met, it will be the largest Filipino contingent in athletics since the 1984 Olympics where Lydia de Vega, Isidro del Prado, Elma Muros, Agripina de la Cruz, Hector Begeo and Leonardo Ilut competed for the country.

So far, only Obiena has booked a ticket, becoming only the second Filipino pole vaulter to make it to the Olympics after Edward Lasquete in 1992. Obiena, 24, trains in Formia, Italy and may be in line for a podium finish in Tokyo, judging from his recent results in the European circuit. His next performance will be at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level in Ostrava, Czech Republic, today (tomorrow, Manila time). Obiena will be up against 2016 Olympic gold medalist Thiago Braz of Brazil, 2017 world champion Sam Kendricks of the US and 2018 European champion/indoor world record holder (6.18 meters) Armand Duplantis of Sweden.

The Philippines has collected only two Olympic medals in athletics, both bronze, from Simeon Toribio in high jump in 1932 and Miguel White in 400-meter hurdles in 1936. The largest Filipino athletics team in the Olympics was sent in 1964 when Mona Sulaiman, Josephine de la Vina, Lolita Lagrosas, Claro Pellosis, Miguel Ebreo, Arsenio Jazmin, Aida Molinas, Loretta Barcenas, Nelly Restar and Mildred Canete saw action.

With Obiena safely in the Tokyo lineup, PATAFA president Philip Juico said others contending for Olympic slots are 2019 SEA Games gold medalists Eric Cray (400-meter hurdles), Kristina Knott (100, 200 meters), Natalie Uy (pole vault), William Morrison (shot put) and Christine Hallasgo (marathon). Four of the five hopefuls are training abroad while Hallasgo is in Bukidnon. The qualifying mark in marathon for the Olympics is 2:29:30. Hallasgo registered 2:56:52 in the last SEA Games where she upset 2016 Olympian Mary Joy Tabal. “We’re trying to get Christine to train in Japan, the best country for marathon along with Kenya,” said Juico.

Knotts and Cray are close to booking Olympic tickets either by ranking or by outright qualification which Juico said is the preferred route. “Morrison just finished college and won’t be competing until October and will be moving from Indiana to Kansas City to be with his coach Danny Capps,” noted Juico. “Natalie fractured her left hand last July after clearing 4.3 at the Arcadia Invite in Granville, North Carolina to set a new Philippine and SEA record a month before. She’ll only be doing running but not pole vault for a month or two, up to October until the left wrist fracture is healed. The Olympic qualifying standard is 4.8 meters or about 1.5 feet from her present mark and it’s a formidable challenge, given her two-month modified training to hit the qualifying standard by June 29, 2021, the end of the qualifying season for athletics. If she doesn’t make it to Tokyo, Natalie has a clear path to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.”