SPRINTER Kristina Marie C. Knott of the Philippines exited the Tokyo Olympic Games on Monday after missing the cut in the 200-meter run.
Ms. Knott, 25, competed in the preliminaries at the Olympic Stadium where she clocked 23.80 seconds, fifth and last in her heat.
Only the top three finishers in each of the seven heats and the next three fastest times get to advance to the semifinals set for later on Monday.
The 23.80 seconds that the Filipino-American Ms. Knott had was off her personal best and Philippine record of 23.01 seconds.
While disappointed, Ms. Knott took everything in strides and vowed to come back better and stronger.
“Whenever you get your butt whipped, you take things into consideration. It was definitely a learning experience. I’m grateful to have been here and represent the Philippines. This is just the beginning for sure,” she was quoted as saying by One Sports after her run.
Ms. Knott, born to a Filipino mother who hails from Cavite, qualified for the Olympics by gaining a universality place from World Athletics.
In the lead-up to her Olympic debut campaign, she worked out at the Transcosmos Track and Field stadium in Isahaya City in southern Nagasaki.
Her preparation was overseen by coach Rohsaan Griffin and strength and conditioning coach Carlo Buzzichelli.
She now turns her focus to other competitions, including the Southeast Asian Games next year and down the line the Olympics in Paris in 2024. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo