John Cabang brought the Philippine campaign to life with a new personal best of 13.56, securing a fourth-place finish in the 110 meters hurdles of the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships held on Friday at the Suphachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Fil-Spanish athlete found his second wind at the halfway mark of the race, allowing him to challenge for a medal. However, Kuwait’s Yaqoub Alyouha narrowly edged him out in a photo finish.
Nonetheless, Cabang surpassed his previous best of 13.65, which he set last month in Spain when he won gold at the Campeonato de Eskudi.
In the women’s 100m event, Kristina Knott, a 2020 Olympian, began her quest for Paris 2024 with a sixth-place finish and a time of 11.61 seconds.
Eric Cray also initiated his pursuit of an Olympic berth by advancing to the final of the 400m hurdles. The 2017 Asian champion in the event recorded a time of 49.98 seconds in the semifinals.
In the field events, William Morrison II achieved a distance beyond 18 meters in the men’s shot put, securing sixth place with a new personal best of 18.17 meters.
Sarah Dequinan concluded the Philippine campaign of the day as she commenced her participation in the women’s heptathlon. Currently sitting in sixth place, the 30-year-old accumulated a total of 3,104 points, boosted by her strong performance in the 200m event, where she finished third with a time of 26.01 seconds.
Dequinan will strive for a strong finish in the last three events of the heptathlon, while Cray and Janry Ubas are expected to shine in their respective finals on Saturday.
