Tolentino, Hoffman close in on Olympic athletics berths

MANILA, Philippines – If plans don’t miscarry, the country will have a couple of more athletes, possibly hurdlers John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman, claiming spots in the Paris Olympics this July.

Tolentino and Hoffman have closed in on spots to the quadrennial games following their strong performances in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships that concluded over the weekend at the PhilSports Arena.

Both have erased national records, with the 22-year-old Filipino-Spaniard clocking 13.37 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles and smashing the old one of 13.53 he set in July last year in Torrent, Spain; and the 25-year-old Fil-American timing in 13.34 in the women’s 100m hurdles and eclipsing her old mark of 13.41 she had in Durham last month.

Tolentino, a Robotics major back home in Spain, had almost grazed the Olympic standard of 13.27, or just by a tenth of a second while moving to No. 24 from No. 31 in the world Paris rankings out of the 40 slots being staked in his event.

Same with Hoffman, who was well within the top 40 in the 400m hurdles where she had the better chance of making the Paris cut than in the 100m hurdles where she recently rearranged the national mark.

And the grind continues for both, especially with Tolentino, who is scheduled to participate in four events, one in the gold-standard Seiko meeting in Japan set May 19 and the other three in Spain.

“Hopefully I can make the standard soon,” he said.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Terry Capistrano, for his part, said he had at least seven from track and field who he thinks has a chance to punch a ticket to the French capital.

Apart from pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, who was the first Filipino to claim an Olympic berth in June a year ago, Tolentino and Hoffman, sprinter Kristina Knott, hurdlers Eric Cray and Robyn Brown, and long jumper Janry Ubas as the other athletes Capistrano were referring to.

“I call them serious, realistic aspirants who are well within the qualification requirements,” said Capistrano.

One hopeful that also may make the cut is 21-year-old Harvard standout Victoria Bossong, whose best time of 2:00.92 in the 800m is eerily closer to the Paris cut clocking of 1:59.30.

The Ivy League Fil-Am runner, however, is in the process of securing a Philippine passport.