Park-training Cray keeps sight of goal

Without sponsors, Eric Cray is being trained by his wife and needs to keep a day job in the United States.

But the reigning Southeast Asian Games 400-meter hurdles champion remains confident on his Olympic chances.

As the pandemic has restricted use of sports facilities, Cray, 31, trains at local parks and the streets of El Paso, Texas, where he and Samantha are raising three kids.

“Eric is in the best shape he has ever been since his 48.98 personal best in 2016 and in comparison to practice, performing much faster than he was back then,” Samantha said in her report to Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa).

She said Cray clocked 47.8 seconds in his pet 400-meter hurdles in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last February. Last April, just after the pandemic hit, Cray timed 46.5 at practice. But he has to beat the Tokyo cutoff of 48.90 seconds in an Olympic qualifying meet.

In last year’s SEA Games—which served as an Olympic qualifier—he submitted 50.21 seconds in winning his fourth straight 400-m hurdles gold for the Philippines.

But Patafa, headed by Philip Ella Juico, remained upbeat of Cray’s chances. And that of two others—sprinter Kristina Knott and shot put thrower William Edward Morrison III.

Juico is hoping to send at least four outright qualifiers for Tokyo. Four years ago in Rio de Janeiro, three Filipinos made the cut in athletics.

So far, only pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena is assured of the slot, and Knott is very close to making the required times in 100m (11.15 seconds) and 200m (22.8). She’s running 11.27 and 23.01 in her events, respectively.

Morrison also has a chance of qualifying, although his personal best of 18.38 in winning the SEA Games gold is still way off the 21.10-m standard. INQ