OSAKA - Filipino long jumper Janry Ubas embarked on a crucial leg of his journey to qualify for the Olympics, departing for Japan on Saturday. He will compete at the 11th Kinami Mitchitaka Memorial Athletics Meet at the Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, starting Sunday. This meet is part of the bronze category events in the World Athletics Continental Tour.
According to Philippines News Agency, his primary goals in Japan are to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard of 8.27 meters and to earn additional points in the world ranking by securing a podium finish. "My goal in Japan is to hit the Olympic qualifying standard of 8.27 meters, or to be on the podium to get more points in the world ranking," said the 30-year-old athlete from Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental. The qualification window for the upcoming Paris Olympics runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, with athletes able to qualify either through the entry standard approved by World Athletics or via the world ranking.
Ubas recently won at the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships, registering a jump of 7.83 meters. He also secured a gold medal at the Singapore Open last month and a bronze at the Hong Kong Athletics Championships last week. Since joining the national team in 2015, Ubas has shown consistent performance, highlighted by winning his first gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia with a jump of 7.85 meters.