Eric Cray clocked one of the best times in the 2024 outdoor season when he snatched a bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter hurdles of the Miramar Athletics Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex oval on Saturday in Florida (Sunday in Manila).
The 35-year-old Cray, who is a point away from contention for a world ranking quota spot in the Paris Olympics, submitted a season record-breaking time of 50.18 seconds.
Cray behind eventual gold medallist David Kendziera of the USA, who took the gold medal , also had a season record-smashing performance of 49.65 seconds.
Dominican Republic Yeral Nunez also went past the season mark to earn the silver with his time of 49.69 seconds.
Cray, along with Kendziera and Nunez, surpassed the world leading record, or season record of 48.68 seconds, set last March 14 by Qatari sprinter Ismail Doudai Abakar at the McArthur Stadium in South Africa.
In athletics, a world leading record is the best mark achieved worldwide within a given season.
The world record of 45.94 seconds still stands, and this belongs to Karsten Warholm of Norway, set in 2021 at the National Stadium in Japan.
So far, Cray is still off his Philippine national mark of 48.68 seconds, which he clocked in the 2016 IAAF World Challenge in Spain.
Overall, Cray has a total of three medals in the 2024 outdoor season. He got his first when Cray took the silver medal at 10.67 seconds last March 23 at the Charles Austin Classic in San Marcos, Texas.
Then, Cray claimed a bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter run in 48.15 seconds at the Bobcat Invitationals also in San Marcos, Texas
Earlier, Kristina Marie Knott, facing a 1.2 meter/second headwind, struggled to a 15th place finish at 16.23 seconds, in the women’s 100-meter finals.
Paris Olympics qualifier Melissa Jefferson claimed the gold medal in 11.19 seconds, while Destiny Smith Barnett, who is no. 27 in the Olympic rankings, took the silver in 11.28 seconds, and English Garner settled for the bronze in 11.33 seconds.
Knott is at no. 78 in the Olympic rankings in the women’s 100-meters, and only the top 56 are expected to qualify.