ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Kristina Knott is on track to make it to the Paris Olympics, according to the World Athletics rankings.

Currently, Knott sits at No. 40 of the women’s 200-meter event rankings with 1172 points, giving her a handsome chance to join pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena in the Summer Games next month.

Knott’s personal best remains at 23.01 seconds which was timed back in 2019 when she won the 30th SEA Games in New Clark City in Tarlac.

Her latest performance was at the Royal City Inferno Track and Field Festival in Ontario, Canada last 4 June where she finished with a bronze medal after clocking in 23.24 seconds.

Home bets Lauren Gale, who finished with a 22.25 seconds, and Jaqueline Madogo, who clocked in 23.01 seconds, took the gold and silver medals, respectively.

The women’s standard is set at 22.57 seconds in the women’s 200-m and Knott has until 30 June to accomplish this.

She can also continue to climb up the Paris rankings up until 7 July but if Knott would have it her way, she would like to enter the French capital in style by hitting the Olympic standard.

“Honestly, my goal is to keep shaving down my time but I’m still on the quest to qualify for Paris,” Knott said.

“The time is what matters to me,” said Knott, who suited up for Arkansas State and University of Miami during her college days.

Knott, who was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1995, wants to avenge her poor showing in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after missing the semifinals of the 200-m event after clocking in 23.80 seconds.

She made her Philippine debut during the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia and wound up sixth in her pet event.

Also vying for a spot in the Paris Games is Robyn Brown, who won the women’s 400-m hurdles gold medal after clocking in 57.15 seconds in the same competition.

Currently, Brown is at No. 40 in the rankings while Lauren Hoffman sits at No. 32.