CAPAS, Tarlac — Fil-German race walker Nathaniel Seiler announced his arrival in the local track and field scene with a bang on Thursday, delivering a record-breaking debut in the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium here.
Benefiting from an early-morning start, Seiler — who competed for Germany in the 50-kilometer race walk at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 — shattered a 31-year-old record by nearly 54 seconds. The old mark of 44:22.08, set by Sonny Diaz in the 1995 Chiang Mai Southeast Asian Games, was eclipsed as Seiler clocked 43:33.38 in the technically demanding event.
A discovery of former national race walker turned coach Saturnino Salazar, the 30-year-old native of Baden-Baden, Germany, whose personal best is 41:45, said: “I slowed down somewhat when I was way ahead of the Indonesian and could have gone faster had I known the record that I was running after.”
Arriving last Saturday, with Manila six hours ahead of Germany, Seiler was grateful that his lone event came early in the morning “because if had it been in the evening then I might have been too sleepy to perform well.”
Indonesia’s Hendro clocked 45:58.88, while Vincent Vianmar dela Cruz of Spectrum Runners took third in the competition, with ICTSI Foundation as title sponsor and co-presented by BCDA and New Clark City.
Seiler’s exploits highlighted the performances of overseas-based Filipino athletes who have stamped their class after two days of the meet sponsored by CEL Logistics, Inc. and UAAGI Auto Group, Inc.
Paris Olympian Lauren Hoffman is all alone at the finish line to rule the women’s 400-meter hurdles of the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by PSC at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium last Wednesday evening in Capas, Tarlac
Late Wednesday, Paris Olympian Lauren Hoffman, pole vaulter Eli Cole, and sprinter Jessica Laurance — who, like Seiler, are supported by FILAM Sports — dominated their respective events in the championships also backed by Pocari Sweat Philippines, Clark Water, Energya, and apparel partner Massiv Sports.
In better form than last year, and with her main rival Robyn Brown out due to pregnancy, Hoffman blasted off the blocks en route to reclaiming the women’s 400-meter hurdles title in 58.98 seconds.
After an early duel with pole vaulter turned decathlete Hokett delos Santos, Cole — a 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist — was left alone in pursuit of a higher season best, eventually settling for gold with a clearance of 5.25 meters.
With national sprint standouts Kristina Knott and new women’s 100-meter record holder Zion Corrales-Nelson both sidelined by injuries, Laurance emerged as the meet’s fastest woman for the second consecutive time by topping the women’s 100-meter dash.
National sprinter Jessica Laurance (center) dips just in time at the finish line to retain her women’s 100-meter title in the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships presented by PSC at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium last Wednesday evening in Capas, Tarlac.
In a tight finish, the 22-year-old Sydney-born runner prevailed in 11.72 seconds, edging national teammate and UAAP and UST standout Lianne Pama (11.85) and Malaysian Izzaful Mussfirah Azzirah (11.86), who placed second and third, respectively.
Fil-Am Drew Tumarak Hill also won a close race in the men’s 100-meter sprint in 10.46 seconds, relegating Singapore’s Marc Brian Louis (10.49) and Anfernee Lopena of the KG Mercuries (10.60) to silver and bronze in the tournament also supported by Dr. Willie Torres, University of Mindanao chairman.
Seiler, who enjoys road cycling and is a Tour de France fan, said he first met Salazar, a SEA Games bronze medalist, in 2022 while on vacation in the Philippines. Salazar later convinced him to compete for his mother’s country.
“I asked him if he (Seiler) could compete for our country in 2022 and he even had a class to teach the fundamentals to promising race walkers then,” said Salazar, a heart attack survivor, recalling their meeting four years ago.
A former soldier-athlete in the German army, Seiler’s immediate goal is to compete in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in September, and then qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, potentially earning the distinction of representing two countries in the Summer Games.
“Although I wasn’t able to execute well enough, I am still happy with what I did,” Hoffman, a former Duke University athletic standout, said after bagging her third meet title, the last of which came when the championships were held at the Philsports Oval in Pasig City in 2024.
