DESPITE HARD-EARNED Olympic appearances, Filipino hurdlers John Cabang and Lauren Hoffman quickly bowed out of their bids in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles, respectively, in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The events took place from August 4 to 6 at the Stade de France Stadium in Saint-Denis, France.

John Cabang

Cabang made strides in his career ahead of his Paris run, setting a national record for 110m hurdles at 13.37 seconds last May. The hurdler also bagged a bronze in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games and was hopeful of reaching great heights in his Olympic debut despite stiff competition.

In spite of his best efforts in the qualifiers last August 4, Cabang wound up at sixth after clocking in 13.66 seconds and was relegated to the repechage. Due to an injury, however, the world 36th-ranked athlete decided to pull out of the round, immediately eliminating him from contention.

Lauren Hoffman

Hoffman turned into a rising star in the Asian region after finishing fifth in the 400m hurdles finals of the 2022 Hangzhou Games. While she marked her presence in the tournament, Hoffman still had to register either a 54.85-second time or crack the world ranking’s top 40 to qualify for Paris. Prevailing in the trials, the 25-year-old managed to secure an Olympic berth after ranking 39th.

Being the lone Philippine representative in Paris’ women’s athletics showcase, Hoffman settled for the eighth spot after registering a time of 57.84 seconds in the 400m hurdles event. Despite her eagerness to bounce back in the repechage, the Filipino-American failed to qualify for the semifinals, ranking seventh in the bout with 58.28 seconds.