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PHILIPPINE AMERICAN Kristina Knott ran a 100-meter race in 11.27 seconds modestly fast that was good enough for a silver medal behind an American rival in the Drake Blue Oval Showcase at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday.
But that burst of speed was more than enough for the 24-year-old Knott to break the 33-year-old Southeast Asian Games record of 11.28 seconds set by Lydia de Vega when the former Asian Sprint Queen was 23. in Jakarta.
Knott finished behind 23-year-old Kayla White, who clocked 11.18 seconds. Tianna Bartoletta, 35, took the bronze medal with 11.44 seconds.
The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association announced Knott’s record-setting career on social media, noting that the 30th Southeast Asian Games sprint champion is on track to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Knott needs to run the Olympic standard of 11.15 seconds to make the grade in Tokyo.
Also holding the record of 23.01 seconds at the SEA Games (he also broke De Vega’s standard last December in New Clark City), Knott has plenty of time to achieve his goal with the playoffs ending in May 2021.
Pole vaulter EJ Obiena is one of four Filipinos who have qualified for the Olympics so far. The others are boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno and world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo.
In addition to Knott, other Patafa athletes hoping to qualify for Tokyo include sprinter Eric Cray, pitcher William Morrison, marathon runner Christine Hallasgo and pole vaulter Natalie Uy.
Health protocols were enforced at the Drake event with the athletes running one lane away from each other.
