Knott tops sprint run in ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships

Although Kristina Knott’s performance was below her national standard time, she still won the gold medal in an all-Filipino-heritage podium clash as the group of foreign-based Pinoy Olympic hopefuls continued piling up precious world ranking points on Day 2 of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships on Thursday at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City.

The 28-year-old Arkansas State U alumnus bested the field in the women’s 200-meter run, which included fellow Nationals Angel Frank and Danae Manibog. She registered 23.48 seconds, almost a full one-second slow on her record feat of 23.01 from the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

The 23.01 was a new mark since the legendary sprinter Lydia De Vega-Mercado recorded 24.00 seconds as an 18-year-old in 1982 in Palarong Pambansa in Dipolog City.

Frank finished second at 24.56, while Manibog, granddaughter of 1952 Olympian wrestler Gonzalo ‘Monty’ Manibog, bolstered her chances of being included in the National Team for next year’s SEA Games with a bronze medal at 24.72.

The trio is among the Filipino-heritage Olympic hopefuls in the tournament sanctioned by the World Athletics as Olympic qualifying.

Another prize-hopeful Filipino-Irish runner, Victoria Bossong, is the favorite to win her pet event, the 800-meter, scheduled for Saturday. The 21-year-old Bossong has a personal best of 2:00.92. The Olympic entry standard is 1 minute and 59.30 seconds.

“I think my body is really in good condition right now. I don’t know if I could break the two-minute mark, but that’s my target, so I plan to just run as fast as I can,’ said Bossong.

If not for Bossong’s failure to secure a Philippine passport, her time could easily be a national mark. Fil-Am Jessica Barnard holds the national record at 2 minutes and 6.75 seconds, which she set at the Portland Track Festival almost eight years ago.

Other winners in the five-day event are Vincent Dela Cruz in Men 10,000 walk (48:08.21), Jamela De Asis in women’s shot put (12.05), Jerico Cadag in men’s 2000 steeplechase (6:23.50), Charrlyn Samonthia in the women’s 2000 steeplechase (7:48.63), Jaster Rebedizo in women’s long Jump (6.31 meters) and Malaysian Angelina Ngang in the women’s discuss throw (37.80 meters).