KRISTINA Knott’s coach Roshaan Griffin rued the extreme heat in Tokyo that may have contributed to his ward’s poor performance in the Olympic women’s 200m on Monday.
Knott, 25, timed 23.80 seconds on Monday, placing last among five runners in Heat 7. She ended up in 37th among 41 competitors, missing out on a semifinal berth.
Griffin said nerves of playing in the world stage plus the heat in Tokyo may have factored in the performance, missed their target of finishing under 23 seconds.
“This is her first Olympic Games. She could have been battling a lot of things. It could have been the extreme heat. It could have been nerves,” Griffin said.
“I'm not trying to pinpoint an excuse, or give a set of answers. It was an awful performance. It wasn't what we expected. But people need to realize this is the world stage,” said Griffin.
Kristina Knott
Hopes were high for Knott to break her own national record of 23.01 seconds she set during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in New Clark City.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association marketing and communications director Edward Kho said Knott had to be rushed to a medical station as soon as she crossed the finish line, but assured that the Filipina trackster has recovered.
Kho said Knott vomited due to the summer heat in Japan.
“She suffered heat exhaustion. Nag-stay muna after the race sa medical station sa stadium for about an hour. Rehydrated. She felt ill even before the gunstart. After crossing the finish line, she was vomiting and dazed,” said Kho.
“Thanks for the prayers of support. She is resting in her room now,” added Kho.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph