Knott, Obiena sizzle

Kristina Marie Knott celebrates after winning the gold in record fashion at 23.01. (Roman Prospero)

CAPAS CITY – Fil-Am sprinter Kristina Knott and EJ Obiena ruled their respective events in Day 2 of the athletics competition in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Saturday night here at the New Clark City Athletics Center.

Knott and Obiena copped golds in record fashions as the Philippine track and field team is now halfway of its target of a six-gold haul in this 11-nation meet.

The 24-year old Knott erased the SEA Games mark in the women’s 200-meter with the time of 23.01 seconds, eclipsing her record preliminary time of 23.07 Saturday morning.

Knott’s time shattered the 2011 record of Thailand’s Supavadee Khawpaeg (23.30) and the national record previously held by fellow Fil-Am sprinter Zion Corrales-Nelson (23.32), who set the mark early this year in a race in US NCAA.

The Tokyo Olympics-bound Obiena also set a new mark in men’s pole vault with a leap of 5.45 meters, topping the 5.35 mark of Thailand’s Parranot Purahong set last meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

But Obiena’s mark was a far cry from his personal best of 5.81 meters that earned him a ticket in next year’s Summer Games.

The mixed-gender relay team of Reymond Alferos, Robyn Lauren Brown, Maureen Schrijvers and Edgardo Alejan Jr. took the bronze in the lone relay finals last night.

The Phl mixed relay squad timed 3:26.95 to finish third behind the team of Vietnam (3:19.50) and Thailand (3:26.09).

Janry Ubas (fifth, men’s long jump), Richard Salano (seventh, men’s 10000-m) and Arniel Ferrera (fifth, men’s hammer throw) failed to land a podium finish.

The country’s first gold came from Christine Hallasgo in the women’s marathon last Friday.