MANILA, Philippines – A second chance at a semifinal berth in the Paris Games still did not go the way of Filipina-American hurdler Lauren Hoffman.
Hoffman ended her Olympic campaign after placing seventh and last in her repechage race in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Stade de France on Monday, August 5.
She clocked 58.28 seconds to finish 20th out of 21 hurdlers relegated to the repechage.
France’s Shana Grebo (54.91) and Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova (54.95) earned their place in the semifinals, with only the top two from each of the three repechage races advancing.
Hoffman, who holds the national record of 55.72 seconds she set in April, registered a slower time in the repechage than her mark of 57.84 seconds in the heats.
But Philippine athletics has two more bets in contention — pole vaulter EJ Obiena and hurdler John Cabang Tolentino.
Obiena shoots for a medal in the men’s pole vault final, while Tolentino aims to reach the men’s 110m hurdles semifinals as he competes in the repechage on Tuesday, August 6. – Rappler.com