Buoyed by bronze, Janry Ubas eyes ‘lucky jump’ to Paris Olympics

FILE– Philippines’ Janry Ubas is looking to a book a ticket for the Paris Olympics. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Priming for a significant tournament on local turf, Janry Ubas built for himself some momentum during the 2024 Hong Kong Athletics Championships.

The Southeast Asian Games long jump king hurled himself leapt to 7.61 meters to bag a bronze medal in his event.

It should be a pivotal confidence boost as Ubas, the national record holder of 7.85 m, sees action at the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships beginning on Wednesday to reinforce his Paris Olympics bid.

READ: PH hurdler Eric Cray, long jumper Janry Ubas boost Paris Olympics bid

“It would be nice to compete at the national championships with our countrymen cheering for you,’’ said Ubas after winding up behind gold medalist Wen Hua Yu of Chinese Taipei (7.81 m) and silver performer Chan Ming Tai of Hong Kong (7.75 m).

Ubas must get into the top 32 of the World Athletics Olympic qualifying ratings to secure a Paris spot before the window closes on June 30.

He’s currently ranked No. 35.

Another point of entry is through achieving the Olympic individual entry standard of 8.27 m in tournaments sanctioned by World Athletics.“Being there at the Philippine Athletics Championships will motivate me to achieve the objective. All I need is one lucky jump,’’ said Ubas.

READ: Janry Ubas eyeing one good leap to Asian Games podium and Paris

Organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa), this year’s Philippine Athletics Championships will be held at PhilSports track and field oval in Pasig City until May 12.

“This is a great opportunity for our athletes who are aspiring to see action in the Olympics because the Philippine Athletics Championships offers Olympic ranking points,’’ said Patafa president Terry Capistrano.

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Besides Ubas, hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and Robyn Brown (both 400-m hurdles), Eric Cray (men’s 400-m hurdles) and John Tolentino Cabang (men’s 110-m hurdles) and sprinter Kristina Knott (women’s 200-m) are all vying for Olympic berths.

“They’ve been performing well and could hit the qualifying mark. Our athletes are really working hard to meet the standards and we make sure to support them the best we can,’’ said Capistrano, also the longtime team manager of the defending champions La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP.

Ubas left the Hong Kong meet with an additional gold medal for a total Philippine collection of four golds and one silver.

Lauren Hoffman and Robyn Brown completed a 1-2 finish in the 400-m hurdles and Hussein Lorana ruled the men’s 800 m before Knott made it three in a row on Sunday in the women’s 100 m.

So far, pole vault ace EJ Obiena remains the lone Filipino qualifier in athletics for Paris, but more are expected to join him at the glamorous French capital by July.