FRUSTRATED by his slow time despite his winning performance in the men’s 400-meter hurdles of the recent ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships, Eric Cray renews his Olympic bid when he competes in the Meeting National dela Martinique on May 18 in the French Caribbean Island of Martinique.
Eager to put on a good show before the hometown crowd while hoping to boost his campaign to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Cray clocked a time of 50.51 seconds to bag the gold but looked visibly upset at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City last week.
In the highly technical event, he was off his national best of 48.90 seconds set in 2016 at the Meeting de Atletismo Madrid in Madrid, Spain. His clocking was also inferior to his season best of 49.86 in his runner-up finish at the Mt Sac Relays two weeks ago in Walnut, California.
“I did not like 50 seconds and that’s terrible. I am in better shape than that so I am disappointed. It just wasn’t my day so I am pretty mad right now,” said the six-time Southeast Asian Games men’s 400-meter hurdles king.
“I could have done better. It won’t come out, but I’ll figure it out. Just keep my faith, keep working hard, when it is time to come, I will be ready,” added the 35-year-old Texas native of making the Paris entry standard of 48.70 seconds.
He is currently ranked No. 43 in the event in the World Athletics ratings, where there are 40 quota places up for grabs for the Paris Olympics, although that standing is bound to rise once the new list is released by Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) by the world athletics body.
Cray is bidding to compete in his second Summer Games after representing the country in the 2016 Rio edition, and Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano said the Patafa is fully supporting his campaign.
“Eric has given the Philippine so many honors in international play so it is only fitting that we support him in what could be his last Olympics,” Capistrano said.
