THE Philippines’ Eric Cray bagged the bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Waco, Texas.
Holder of three national records, Cray clocked in 51.61 seconds behind gold medal winner Moitalel Mpoke of Texas A&M (50.63) and silver medalist Pablo Ibanez (51.32).
Cray’s time was three seconds slower than the Olympic qualifying standard of 48.90 seconds.
It was also way off his national mark of 48.98 seconds set in the 2016 World Challenge Series in Madrid, Spain, as well as his golden performance at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Manila where he clocked 50.21 seconds.
The 32-year old Cray hopes to fare well in this Thursday’s Don Kirby Tailwind Open in New Mexico, as well as in the Drake Relays in Iowa on Saturday and the Texas Meet on April 30.
The Philippines hope to send another athletics representative in the coronavirus-stalled Tokyo Olympics other than pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who qualified way back in September 2019.
Hosted by Baylor University, the Michael Johnson Invitational a strong field of teams, including its US NCAA’s Big 12 schools Texas, TCU, Texas Tech and Kansas State, as well as accomplished athletes in former Olympic pole vault champion Jen Suhr, former Olympic 400 medalist Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago, and Olympic sprinter Mike Rodgers, among others.
