Marestella Torres’ Asiad spot not sure

MANILA, Philippines — Long jump queen Marestella Torres needs to go through a competitive test to secure her spot in the Philippine delegation to the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Out of action for over a year after giving birth to her first child, Torres made a leap of 6.27 meters to bag the gold medal in the women’s long jump of the 2014 Hong Kong Inter-City Athletics Championship last month.

But the country’s Asian Games task force, composed of top officials of the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee, wants to see a longer leap from the Beijing and London Olympian.

She will get the chance to seal her Asiad berth in the Vietnam Open on Friday.

Torres, who returned to training only last month, has a personal best of 6.71m, which she posted in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

“I hope she gets into shape and joins the team to Incheon,” said PSC chair and Philippine chef de mission Richie Garcia.

The Incheon continental meet is scheduled from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 with the task force required to submit the names of athletes by Aug. 15.

Already assured of slots in the track and field team are long jumper Henry Dagmil, Filipino-American hurdler Eric Cray, decathlete Jesson Ramil Cid, long-distance runner Christopher Ulboc and the 4x400m relay squad of Archand Bagsit, Isidro Del Prado Jr., Julius Nierras and Edgardo Alejan Jr.