Hoffman, Tolentino break National record in Patafa Open

Records fall one after another as Filipino heritage talents took the limelight in the ongoing 2024 ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City.

As expected, Comely Fil-American Lauren Hoffman and Spain-based hurdler John Cabang Tolentino wowed the crowd with performances to boost their chances of securing a last-trip ticket to the Paris Olympics.

The five-day tournament is sanctioned by the World Athletics and awarded precious points for the world ranking.

Hoffman, who just turned 25, won the gold in the women’s 100-meter hurdles at 13.34 seconds, resetting the national mark of 13.41 she previously made just last month in the Duke Invitational tournament.

“There’s a lot to improve. But I’m thrilled as I improved my personal best time. It’s a kind of warm-up for the days to come and for the coming competitions in Los Angeles next month where I’m up against some of the world’s best athletes,” said Hoffman, a business management graduate at Duke University.

Hoffman must hit under 56 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles to book a ticket in Paris Gmes this coming August. She held her best time at 56.39, which also stood as the Philippine record she registered last March at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida. The current world record in this event is 50.68 seconds, set by American American Sydney McLaughlin on July 22, 2022, at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Homegrown Jelly Dianne Paragile of the Philippine Army (14.16) and Lyka Miravalles of the University of Santo Tomas (15.23) joined Hoffmann at the podium.

Likewise, Tolentino broke his National record of 13.53, which he previously held in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, with an astonishing 13.37 seconds to beat PH Navy’s Clinton Kingsley Bautista (13.98) and Hong Kong’s Liu Hiu Long (14.35).

Philippine Athletics president Terry Capistrano is confident that Hoffman and other Filipino hopefuls will improve their performances and make it to Paris.

“We still schedule international tournaments, so they earn more points while improving their performances. I’m very happy with the results and the turnout of participants. And despite the hot weather, maraming nanood dahil gusto rin nilang makita na magperformed ng ating mga homegrown against the Filipino heritage athletes,” said Capistrano.