HANGZHOU—The Philippines advanced to the final of the men’s 4×400 meters relay in the 18th Asian Games behind the son of a local athletics and a new Filipino-heritage runner on Tuesday.
Filipino-heritage athlete Umajesty Williams and Michael del Prado, son of Project: Gintong Alay star Isidro in the 1980s, led the Philippine quartet’s charge as they topped Heat 2 at the Hangzhou Olympic Centre Stadium.
Williams was fastest for the team at 44.16 seconds, while del Prado checked in at a second-fastest time of 45.88.
Joyme Sequita and Frederick Ramirez clocked 46.74 and 49.37, respectively, as the Philippines ruled the heat with a new national record of 3:06.15.
That was enough for the quartet from the national team of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association headed by Terry Capistrano and supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission to reiterate their reputation as the best among the Southeast Asian Games countries.
The reigning SEA Games champions will have a repeat showdown in the final set 8:35 p.m. on Wednesday against Cambodia runner-up Thailand, which also reset its national record at 3:06.96.
Also in the final all setting their national records are Iraq (3:07.58), Bahrain (3:06.2), South Korea (3:04.03), India (3:03.81) and Qatar (3:01.00). Sri Lanka also advanced with (3:06.60).
Also on Wednesday, the women’s 4×400 Philippine team of Filipino-heritage athletes Lauren Hoffman, Robyn Brown, Angel Frank and Maureen Maureen Schrijvers clash with fellow Southeast Asian rivals Thailand and SEA Games champion Vietnam in the final slated at 8:15 p.m.
The Filipinas clash against India, Bahrain, Sri Lanka and Mongolia.
Image credits: AP