John Cabang sees silver lining after withdrawing from repechage due to injury

The Manila Times

John Cabang sees silver lining after withdrawing from repechage due to injury  Filipino hurdler John Cabang had another shot to run and qualify for the semifinals but an injury led him to withdraw from the men’s 110-meters repechage of the Paris 2024 Olympics.   It was heartbreaking for him to not start the race, but Cabang looks ahead and focuses on the positive side.   “I did not race, but I am an Olympian for sure. Once an Olympian forever an Olympian, that’s the main thing,” Cabang said in an interview with The Manila Times via Google Meet.   Cabang also relished his experience in the Paris.  “It was an experience in the opening ceremony, we have the flag with us, I feel a lot of support from the Philippines. The people supported me a lot, and that’s kind of a family thing,” he said.   Video by Nicole Anne Bugauisan  and Rio Deluvio  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #sports  #olympics  #paris2024

Transcript

00:00it's not that bad but I know that if I was gonna run the race I'm gonna injure myself

00:08for a long time so that's why I decided to not run. Of course I know that this question is

00:16difficult to answer and it can be a little bit tough and harsh was there any like sort of

00:23frustration when you realized that you cannot race anymore? It was it was hard but at first

00:33when I was gonna run the first race also I felt pain and Antonio did a massage to me

00:42so because of him I could run the first race so I don't know I just I just I don't believe

00:51because I don't believe it because it was injury from the last week everything was going well and

01:01it's kind of tough yeah. Given that you've reset the clock of our the Philippine national record

01:07since you recorded 13.37 and then during your first race everyone was so excited that you'll

01:15be able to clock in the same seconds. How was it how was your race your first race so far in the

01:22olympics most especially most of the Filipinos are really rooting for you in that moment? I was nervous

01:29but you know since I was feeling so much pain I knew that I couldn't run in my 100%

01:40so luckily I finished the race and yeah I was I was feeling good. I understand that you

01:48have these challenges before going to your olympic debut. What drive or what made you

01:56you will to really run for the country so what goes in your mind during those moments that no

02:04I will run for country I will run for the Philippines so what made you decide

02:08to continue? The thing is my mom my mom told me to run for the Philippines so I just decided

02:16because of her and now I go all in with the Philippines. I do also know that you will still

02:25be competing in the Asian indoor and martial arts games next year. Will you push through

02:32or you're still balancing things out? Now it's time to rest and get well so I don't want to rush

02:41but yeah my plan is to go to the IMAG and see if I can get a medal or something. Racing in the

02:50olympics for the first time how was it for you and at the same time how does it feel to represent

02:57the Filipino flag and of course you know Filipinos are very talkative online they have a lot of

03:02opinions and how does it uh how do you handle this type of things you know a lot of pressure

03:09during your experience? It was it was amazing the experience with the ceremony opening ceremony

03:19we had the flag with our with us and I don't know I felt like

03:26I felt too much support from the Philippines not too much like a lot of support

03:35because when I told via Instagram that I was not gonna run and the people

03:43supported me a lot and I don't know that's that's kind of a family thing so I love that.

03:51You blitzed your way to glory and right now you stamped your mark in history as being a Filipino

03:58olympian. What does this mean for you like you are now Jan Cabang then you can put Olympian

04:07in your name so how are you handling this feat in your career early in your career because you're

04:13still young? Right now I still don't believe it but I will I will see next year and how my name

04:24how big is my name because I got maybe I can go to a bigger meet to race or something but now

04:33I still don't believe it. Just last this is like my last question already we've mentioned your

04:39setbacks previously so for you how what's the silver lining in all of this or the positive

04:49side despite not being able to compete in the repassage of the olympics? I earned a race so

04:59now I'm olympian for sure and you know once olympian forever I'm olympian so that's that's

05:06the main thing and now we have the experience how to handle the year how to prepare for the

05:13olympics because it's been two two years of non-stop competing for the points to to get here

05:21that's why my maybe my body told me like you have to stop yeah so now we have the experience

05:30and we're now olympians so that's that's the main thing

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