Asian Games: Lauren Hoffman, Robyn Brown reach 400m hurdles final

FILE – The Philippines’ Robyn Brown celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the women’s 400m hurdles final during the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi on May 17, 2022. (Photo by Ye Aung Thu / AFP)

HANGZHOU, China—Filipino-heritage hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and Robyn Brown advanced to the women’s 400m hurdles final on Monday in the 19th Asian Games.

Hoffman arrived second in her heat and clocked 57.61 seconds while Brown barely made it to the medal race with a 58.34-second effort in the other heat where she finished fifth among six runners.

The 24-year-old Hoffman finished her qualifying race behind Asian record holder Oluwakemi Adekova of Bahrain, the No. 1 finalist in the event who crossed the line in 55.17 at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.

Brown, who ruled the Asian championships in Bangkok last July, and Hoffman will likewise join Japan’s Ami Yamamoto, Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems, India’s Vithya Ramraj and China’s Jiadie Mo in the final on Tuesday.

Eric Shauwn Cray, meanwhile, got obliterated right away in the qualifying heats of the men’s 400m hurdles.

Cray, the reigning six-time Southeast Asian Games champion in his event, just couldn’t keep up with the faster opposition after arriving fifth in his heat in 50.24 seconds.

Qatar’s Bassem Hemeida topped the race in 49.44 and India’s Yasha Palaksha placed second in 49.61, both of them advancing to the final.