Asinta ni Fil-Am Eric Shauwn Cray ang finals sa 31st Summer Olympic Games athletics men’s 400-meter semifinals sa Martes ng alas-9:30 ng gabi (ngayong alas-8:30 ng umaga, Manila time) sa Heat 2 semifinals sa Nilton Santos Stadium sa Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil.
Umentra ang 27-year-old reigning Southeast Asia fastest man sa semis nang mag-third place sa 8-man Heat 4 qualifying sa clocking na 49.05 seconds, halos segundo lang ang agwat sa 48.96 niyang personal best.
“I qualified to the next round and I’m really excited. That was my second fastest time. I just want to get to the semis tomorrow and run as fast as I can and hopefully make it to the finals,” litanya ng tubong Olongapo City pero nakabase na sa Texas na hurdler.
May 80 taon ngayon na ang isang Pinoy ay makaabot sa Olympic finals sa nabanggit na event. Naisakatuparan ito ng Fil-Am din pa-bronze medal winner na si Miguel White sa 1936 Berlin Olympics.
“I had no doubt. I knew I just had to go out there and run to the best of my ability. I did that and I’m going to the semis,” dugtong pa niya makaraan ang karerahan sa mainit nang panahon dito sa loob nang dalawang araw buhat sa malamig at maulap sa nakalipas na linggo.
Makakaarangkadahan ni Cray sa semis race niya sina Spanish Sergio Fernandez (49.31), Jamaican Jameel Hyde (49.24), Japanese Keisuke Nozawa, na nanguna sa qualifying heat na tinakbo ni Cray (48.62), Briton Jack Green (48.96), Alegerian Abdelmalik Lahoulou (48.62), Kenyan Boniface Mucheru (48.91) at American Kerron Clement (49.17).
My prayers to your success…Just do it! 🙂