By MARK REY MONTEJO
Fil-Irish Victoria Bossong is hoping to deliver a performance to remember when she competes in the 2024 ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the PhilSports Oval in Pasig City.
The 21-year-old Bossong is set to compete in the women’s 800 meters events on Saturday, May 11, where she is out to eclipse her personal best record of 2:00.92 – just split tenths of a second off the Olympic standard of 1 minute and 59.30 seconds. She made the feat in a Florida event last March.
If the NCAA veteran could surpass her old record in her first competition in her mother’s country, she will have a good chance of earning a precious ticket to the Summer Games in the lovely French capital of Paris.
Due to passport issue, Bossong’s time of 2 minutes and 6.75 seconds in the Portland Track Festival almost eight years ago was not considered a PH record.
Bossong, whose mother Annie Atienza hails from Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, said she won’t be disheartened even if she fails to better her record, saying there are other events where she can make things happen.
All Olympic hopefuls have until July 7 to hit the Olympic qualifying standard.
“And I don’t know if that will happen this weekend but hopefully in the next few weeks that’s my target time,” Bossong said on Thursday, May 9. “I just run as fast as I can, and I think my body is really on a good spot and the time will show that,”
“I’m aiming for the automatic qualifying ticket for the Olympics, so this tournament is very helpful for me,” she added.
Aside from Bossong, Fil-heritage athletes in the likes of John Cabang Lauren Hoffman, veteran Eric Cray, Kristina Knott and Janry Ubas are vying in the week-long tilt – all looking to gain points to boost their Olympic chances.
Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas ace Jamela De Asis threw the iron ball to a distance f 12.05 meters to beat Malaysian Jing Xuan Ng for the gold. FEU’s Mary Jean Maloloy-On settled for the bronze.
In the U20 category, hometown Justine Macuring registered 51 minutes and 28.82 seconds to take the gold in the men’s 10000 meters walk while Malaysian Sarawak Sukma (37.80m) topped the women’s discus throw.
Starland’s Charrylyn Samontina and Jerico Cadag of Sta. Rosa, Laguna reigned in U18 men’s and women’s 2000m steeplechase events while Aurora’s Jester Renz Robedizo snagged the gold in the men’s long jump (U18).
