Kristina Knott now has another goal after she broke the Philippine national mark in the women’s 100-meter run during the star-studded Drake Blue Oval Showcase meet at Drake Stadium last August.
The 24-year-old Knott will not just seek to qualify in the Tokyo Olympics in the 200-meters, she will now also seek entry in the 100-meters as well.
Knott will make an effort to hit the time required when Olympic qualifying competitions return on December.
And Knott’s bid comes after months of cancellations following lockdown measures that were imposed throughout the United States to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Now that I see my potential, I am now going to try to hit the 100 and 200 in the Tokyo Olympics,” said Knott.
The 5’6” Knott said this, some two months after she came close to the Olympic qualifying time in the 100 meters with her 11.18 second clocking.
Knott won second place behind US National Indoor champion Kayla White after reaching the finish line at a national record-smashing 11.27 seconds.
Knott finished ahead of another Rio Olympics veteran, long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta, one of six Olympians who showed up in the meet.
The Florida-based Knott went on to shatter Philippine track legend Lydia de Vega-Mercado’s one of two remaining national records.
The national mark of 11.28 seconds, set by de Vega-Mercado when she claimed the gold in the 1987 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, stood for 33 years.
Both White’s and Knott’s time is close to the 11.15 second mark, which is the qualification time for the Olympics.
Knott who saw action in the 200 meters was not supposed to take part in the 100 meters.
But a miscommunication with organizers put her in the century sprints.
“I had no high expectation. I was just shocked when I saw the result,” said Knott.
The 22.80-second mark is Olympic Qualifying time in the 200 meters.
And Knott came close to it when she won the gold, and timed a national record-smashing 23.01 second during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Knott’s feat surpassed Zion Corrales Nelson’s 23.16 seconds finish in Sacramento set on the same year.
