Long jumper Ubas sets out for Paris Olympic berth mission

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino long jumper Janry Ubas will join countryman EJ Obiena in Europe where the former will lunge into battle in three competitions for a seat to the World Championships late this year and next year’s Paris Olympics.

The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and national record-holder flew Monday along with his coach Dario de Rosas from Bangkok, Thailand where he saw action in the Asian Athletics Championships.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary-general and executive director Edward Kho said Ubas has been invited to join meets in Lappeenranta, Finland tomorrow, Trieste, Italy on July 22 and Stuttgart, Germany on July 29.

“He (Ubas) obtained an invitation from three World Athletics-rated meets in Finland, Italy and Germany,” said Kho.

Ubas has two pathways to the Paris Games — breach the 8.27-meter standard or earn ranking points and move up the rankings through participation in WA-sanctioned tilts.

He is also eyeing qualification to the Worlds, which is slated August 19-27 in Budapest, Hungary, alongside Obiena and Robyn Brown, who claimed her seat via her scintillating women’s 400m hurdles triumph in the Bangkok meet.

“The qualification window for the World Championships ends on July 30,” said Kho.