There was a change in plans, but Kristina Knott dashed on (and broke a record)

Fil-American sprinter Kristina Knott bagged a silver medal after clocking 11.27 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the Drake Blue Oval meet in Iowa, USA, which was held over the weekend.  

Knott’s time broke Lydia De Vega-Mercado’s long-standing Philippine and Southeast Asian Games mark of 11.28 seconds, which was posted at the 1987 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

But here’s another interesting fact about Knott’s achievement at the meet—she wasn’t supposed to race the 100-meter event in the first place. 

Knott reportedly shared this in a video interview with sportscaster Dyan Castillejo. The sprinter said she was only supposed to do the 200-meter dash, but received a call saying that she can race both in the 100m and 200m.

“But then I checked the heat sheets on Thursday and I was like, my name is only on the 100,” she said.

Apparently, the competitors who initially occupied Knott’s place in the 200m confirmed at the last minute, making the Fil-American sprinter lose her place.

 “In my mind, I’m getting ready for the 200 and all that went out the window,” she expressed. “I’ve been training for the 200 and I was ready to break my own (record).” 

The 200m was her main event where she currently holds the national record of 23.01 seconds; despite these sudden change in plans, Knott still competed and gave her best.

The 24-year-old placed silver behind Kayla White who did 11.18 seconds, but the fact that she broke the long-standing record of de Vega-Mercado still remains. 

De Vega-Mercado was a two-time Olympian who reportedly represented the Philippines at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics. In the 1980s, she was considered as the Asia's fastest woman, and in 1994, she retired after reportedly winning the 100m event at the Manila-Fujian Games. 

As for Knott, she’s now aiming on qualifying for two events for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The Olympic qualifying standard times in the 100m and 200m are 11.15 and 22.80 seconds. 

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico hopes more races will be available in times leading to the Olympics, in which Knott and her fellow Olympic hopefuls could participate in, according to a report. 

 “I am hopeful that with almost a year from Tokyo (Olympics), the increasing number of competitions, the well-coordinated approach of strength and coaching…the single-minded determination of Kristina and the forthcoming additional support of the PSC and PATAFA’s willingness to invest in all its athletes and coaches, Kristina may get a berth in both events,” Juico said. 

Photo is from Reuters.