Team Philippines will have 22 battling athletes in 2024 Paris Olympics
THE PHILIPPINES will have 22 valiant bets wading into battle in the Paris Olympics slated July 26 to Aug. 11 after hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman secured tickets to the French capital.
Mr. Tolentino made the cut after ranking 30th of the 40 earning Paris Games seats in the men’s 110-meter hurdles while Ms. Hoffman was 39th of 40 in the women’s 400m hurdles.
The pair thus joined fellow pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, who was the first Filipino to qualify to the quadrennial event after making the Paris standard as early as July last year.
There were three ways to qualify, the first via breaching the standard, second via world rankings and the last via universality slot.
The duo did it via the second route.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association Secretary-General Jasper Tanhueco told The STAR that Mr. Tolentino will head from Spain to France July 17 while Ms. Hoffman either July 23 or 24 from the United States to Paris.
Sprinter Kristina Knott did not make the cut in the 200m but there’s a long shot she could assuming a slew of withdrawals occurs come the deadline of submission of changes on July 7.
“Withdrawals ang chance niya (Ms. Knott),” said Mr. Tanhueco.
The country is also waiting for one more potential qualifier in Gilas Pilipinas, which hopes to defy odds in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia today.
If not, the list will be 22, which also includes boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Aira Villegas and Hergie Bacyadan, gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Levi Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando and John Ceniza, rower Joanie Delgaco, fencer Sam Catantan, tankers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina. — Joey Villar