Olympian Eric Cray fell short in his bid in the 2023 World Athletics Championships after failing to advance to the semifinals in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday, Aug. 20.

The 34-year-old national record holder clocked 50.27 seconds to finish seventh among nine contenders in Heat 2, where only the Top 4 fastest runners in each heat will advance.

British Virgin Islands’ Kyron McMaster topped their heat with 48.47sec to book a spot into the next round, along with Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.58sec), United States’ Trevor Bassitt (48.73sec) and Kenya’s Wiseman Were Mukhobe (49.10sec).

Cray’s time was a second slower than his current season best of 49.71sec he registered at the Johnny Loaring Classic in Canada last June, and was two seconds slower than his national record of 48.98sec he set in Spain in 2016.

Meanwhile, Fil-Am Robyn Brown will see action in the women’s 400m hurdles heats on Monday, Aug. 21, while world No. 3 pole vaulter EJ Obiena seeks to improve his historic bronze-medal feat last year when he competes in the qualifications on Aug.23.