Cray tests world’s best

MANILA, Philippines - Rio Olympics qualifier Eric Shauwn Cray of the Philippines gauges his skills against the world’s best when he runs in the 400m hurdles preliminaries of the IAAF World Championships tonight at National Stadium in Beijing.

Cray takes the track at 6:59 p.m. in Heat 4, where he’s set to run in Lane 6 beside American Bershawn Jackson, owner of the season’s best time of 48.09 seconds, who is in Lane 5.

Also in the heat are British Jack Green, Chinese Wen Cheng, Estonian Rasmus Magi, Russian Ivan Shablyuyev, Namibian Johannes Hardus Maritz, Turkish Yasmani Copello and Irish Thomas Barr.

“Eric is excited to run in the same heat as the world’s fastest (Jackson),” Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico told The STAR from Beijing.

With his 49.12, the 26-year-old Cray carries the fifth-best time in the heat behind Jackson, Magi (48.65), Barr (48.65) and Shablyuyev (49.04).