Philippines’ Janry Ubas competes during the men’s long jump qualification at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
HANGZHOU, China—Janry Ubas sneaked into the men’s long jump finals in the 19th Asian Games by leaping to a solid third in the qualification on Saturday.
Zeroing in on a podium windup, Ubas registered 7.79 meters on a foggy morning at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre here for a spot in the gold-medal jump come Sunday.
China’s Shi Yuhao topped the qualifier in 8.14m while India’s Sreeshankar followed suit with a 7.97 to rank second among eight final competitors.
The 29-year-old Ubas, the current Southeast Asian Games champion and record-holder of 8.08m, is well within range for at least a bronze in his event.
“If he (Ubas) can jump the way he performed in the SEA Games, we can possibly earn a bronze medal,’’ said national coach Dario De Rosas.
Ranked No. 53 in the world, the silver medalist in the Cambodia SEA Games decathlon built his confidence with a pair of victories in Europe prior to his Asiad stint.
“He only needs one lucky jump. A medal is possible if he can equal or even surpass his best,’’ said De Rosas, who handles the training of Ubas.
Ubas won the Triveneto Meeting Internazionale in Trieste, Italy in late July and clinched the Motonet Grand Prix Lappeenranta in Finland three days earlier.
Meanwhile, former SEA Games champion Kristina Marie Knott missed the women’s 100m finals after crossing the line third in her heat in 11.77 seconds.