Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
WITH 13 athletes already qualified, sports officials are still expecting that as many as 12 more Filipino athletes could make it to the Paris Olympics.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said this with qualifying competitions for the Olympiad slated to take place in shooting and gymnastics within the week.
“We are expecting 25, and that’s the best estimate. And that includes those already qualified,” said Tolentino following a briefing with officials of 13 national sports association at the Milky Way Restaurant in Makati on Friday.
Weightlifters John Ceniza, Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno were among the latest Filipino athletes to earn slots in the Philippine delegation, after the International Weightlifting Federation World Cup ended on Friday in Phuket, Thailand.
Another lifter, Rosegie Ramos, is expected to earn an additional slot through a better ranking in the women’s 49-kg.
The three lifters have joined early qualifiers, which include Tokyo Olympics’ bronze medalist Eumir Marcial, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnasts Carlo Yulo and Aleah Finnegan, along with female boxers, Tokyo games’ silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.
Officials of athletics and swimming are each expecting two via the universality route.
There could be more in athletics through Lauren Hoffman and Robyn Brown in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, John Cabang Tolentino in the men’s 100-meter hurdles, Kristina Knott in the women’s 200-meters, and men’s long jumper Janry Ubas.
Aquatics will have Kayla Sanchez and Jarrod Hatch joining the national delegation through the universality pathway.
An Olympic qualification for shooting in Brazil from April 11 to 19 will see Filipino shooters Franchette Quiroz and Amparo Acuna vying for slot qualification seats in the women’s 25-meter air pistol event and the women’s 10-meter air rifle event, respectively.
Next week, Fil-American Emma Malabuyo will plunge back into action and once again seek to earn a Paris Olympics berth, with Lee Jung Ruivivar in the fourth and final leg of the 2024 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup Series from April 17 to 20 in Doha, Qatar.
Officials are waiting for the Olympic qualification rankings to come out in golf, skateboarding, judo, taekwondo, rowing, tennis and cycling to get an idea of the other qualified athletes.
In golf, there are 60 seats, with Bianca Pagdanganan the top Filipina in the latest world field rankings at world no. 36.
In swimming, lining up for A and B cut qualification are former Canadian Olympian Kayla Sanchez, Xiandi Chua, Gerard Hatch, Thanya de la Cruz and Teia Salvino. — Peter Atencio
*****
Credit belongs to: www.manilastandard.net
