University of Baguio’s Hussein Loraña broke the Philippine Junior record when he clocked 48.70 seconds in the 400 meters elite men, topping the category at the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association weekly relays on Aug. 13.
Loraña broke the 400-m national junior record of 48.75 seconds with his feat topping the elite men category while Mapua University’s Vince Jayson Buhayan came in second place at 49.77 seconds and John Mike Lera on third spot at 50.01 seconds during the 2023 Cel Logistics, Inc. weekly relay series.
The Grade 12 learner also outran national team member Edgar Carado who placed fourth at 50.45 second in the same heat.
Loraña is under the wings of his coach and father Abdullah Islam and UB coach Hernane Sore, the latter also a former member of the national training pool, according to Pinoy Athletics.
He showed his prowess during the Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Meet 2023 in Zamboanga City last July when he broke the 800-m. collegiate record in one minute and 53.7 seconds.
The previous record holder was Nelbert Ducusin of FEU with one minute and 54.1 seconds during the 2008 Prisaa, also held in Zamboanga City.
Loraña was named the most valuable player in the Prisaa athletics men’s senior division for his gold medal sweep in the 400-m., 1,500-m. run, and the 4 x 400-m. relay.
Recently, Loraña set a personal best of 1:50:85 during the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association trials for the Asian Championships on June 27.
He was the only non-national team coached player in the top spot, where he also outran national athlete Edgar Caradoat 1:57.40.
According to Pinoy Athletics, his performance “was faster than the personal best of any of the three current members of the national team.”
It also elevated the 18-year-old in the number one spot of the 800-m. men’s Philippine ranking, followed by national team members Edwin Giron at 1:51.83 during the national open in Ilagan City, and Mariano Masano’s 1:53.33 during the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
The feat qualified him for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.
The running community lauded Loraña’s achievement as an upcoming talent in the national pool of athletes in athletics. – Ofelia C. Empian
