JAKARTA - Sprinter Eric Cray was inconsolable after he finished a disappointing seventh in the men's 400m hurdles final, clocking just 51.53 seconds to finish well off the pace in the 18th Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Abderraman Samba of Qatar won the gold with a blistering 47.66 seconds, setting a new Games record in the process. Dharun Ayysasamy of India snatched the silver medal at the finish line with a time of 48.96, nosing out Japan's Takatoshi Abe (49.12). Cray's personal best of 48.98 would have been good enough for a bronze.
Cray was at a loss for words afterwards when asked about his dismal performance.
"It feels terrible, man," he said as he fought back tears. "I don't know what to say. It just hurts. I waited so long for the competition. It just sucks, man. I'm always happy representing the Philippines. It just hurts to go out there and run like that."
It was indeed a mystifying performance for the 29-year-old, especially after he ran 50.54 the night before in the semifinals and had done well in other competitions leading up to the Asiad. He was considered a dark horse for a medal in this event, but instead he stumbled to one of his worst times in recent memory.
Cray gets a chance at redemption on Thursday when he teams up with Anfernee Lopena, Clayton Bautista and Trenten Beram in the men's 4x100 race.
Meanwhile, in what could very well be her final appearance in the Asian Games, longtime long jump queen Marestella Torres-Sunang finished ninth in the long jump, managing just a 6.15. At 37 and with her best days clearly behind her, Sunang just couldn't keep up with her younger fellow competitors led by 26-year-old gold medalist Thi Thu Thao Bi of Vietnam who had a best jump of 6.55 meters.
Sunang made her Asian Games debut 16 years ago in Busan, where she finished sixth. Her best Asiad effort was fourth place in Guanzhou eight years ago where she leapt 6.49, while her personal best of 6.71 was set also here in Jakarta during the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, where she reigned supreme for six years, winning four golds and two bronzes.