Filipino-American skater Julian Macaraeg bowed out early in the men’s 1000m event of the International Skating Union Short Track World Cup in Beijing, China on Friday, October 22.

Macaraeg failed to make it past the preliminary stage after clocking 1:27.803 to finish third in Heat 10, just milliseconds short of second-placer Muhammed Emir Han of Turkey who recorded 1:27.710.

Sebastian Lepape of France topped the heat with a time of 1:26.964.

Only the top two from each of the 17 heats and the six fastest third-placers advanced to the next round.

It has been a rocky campaign for Macaraeg in the first of four stagings of the Short Track World Cup, which serves as the qualifier for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Macaraeg also suffered early exits in the men’s 500m and 1500m events.

The Philippines’ last remaining aspirant for the Beijing Games, Macaraeg needs to bounce back in the upcoming editions of the World Cup in Japan, Hungary, and Netherlands. – Rappler.com