Philippine tracksters pursue Olympic dreams

Determination is what the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association used to make up for lost chances for its athletes so they can still participate at this year’s Olympic Games.

With the doors on the two Olympic qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games closed with the outbreak of the coronavirus, PATAFA is fully supporting four athletes in their bids to earn their tickets to the Japanese capital through various competitions in the US athletic season.

The four are sprinter Katrina Knott, shot putter William Morrison, pole vaulter Nathalie Uy and hurdler Eric Gray – all members of the national team that won a gold medal each of the 11 the country collected in hosting the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The four are among the five athletes the PATAFA board had certified as having the strongest chances of pursuing their bids for an Olympic slot each. The fifth, marathoner Christine Hallasgo, fell short of the Olympic standard time in her last race in the recent Milo Marathon.

Their campaign to make it to Tokyo had been hampered, though, due to the International Olympic Committee’s recent ruling putting on hold both the Asian and World Indoor Championships.

“The Olympics is a dream. Competing in the Olympics is every athlete’s ultimate goal to accomplish in their sporting career,” said PATAFA training director Renato Unso, himself a Filipino athlete.

“We in PATAFA will not allow the cancellation of the Asian Indoor Championships and the World Indoor Championships, which are both Olympic qualifying meets, serve as hindrance to our athletes’ ambition,” Unso asserted.

“All four had served our country’s cause in the SEA Games, dapat naman ma-reciprocate natin ang dinanas nilang hirap at sakripisyo in terms of supporting them now,” added Unso.