BY NICK GIONGCO
Five other standouts are aching to join Italy-based pole vaulter EJ Obiena in the Tokyo Olympics, the Philippine Track and Field Association leadership said on Tuesday.
Patafa secretary general Agapito Capistrano revealed that shot putter Willie Morrison and Kristina Knott, both US-based are right on the doorstep of qualifying.
Just a few days ago in Indiana, Morrison did 20.21 meters. The Olympic standard is 21.10.
Capistrano said the 23-year-old thrower 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) is very close to making the cut.
Knott, a graduate of the University of Miami, “is on the verge” of qualifying since she has to clock at least 22.80 to earn a Tokyo trip.
In winning the SEAG gold last December, Knott timed in at 23.01 seconds.
Others in the hunt for Olympic slots include the other SEAG champions in pole vaulter Natalie Uy, marathoner Christine Hallasgo and sprinter Eric Cray.
They were supposed to try their luck in the Asian Indoor championships in Nanjing but the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak scrapped the trackfest.
Capistrano said the Philippine Sports Commission is fully behind Patafa in finding alternatives for training and overseas exposure.
“They are very professional in handling the needs of the Patafa,” said Capistrano, who represented the NSA during a dialogue with the PSC and Tokyo Olympics chief of mission Nonong Araneta.
Obiena, who likewise won gold in the SEAG, was the first to secure a Tokyo Olympics spot after ruling an event in Italy last September.
