Knott to set up final training camp in Nagasaki before Olympic bid

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-Am sprinter Kristina Knott is back in full strength after a bout with COVID-19 last month.

The 25-year-old Knott arrived Tuesday in Tokyo and, after a brief layover there, flew in a connecting flight to Nagasaki, which is five hours away by plane travel, for a week-long training camp.

“They will have a pre-game training camp here,” Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) marketing head Edward Kho told The STAR.

Knott, who was accompanied by coach Rohsaan Griffin, will use the Nagasaki camp as the final stretch of her preparation as she shoots to breach the 23-second mark in the women’s 200 meters.

Knott’s best time is 23.01 seconds that won her not only the gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac but also set the new meet and national records.

“I’m trying to get out of 23 (seconds). I no longer want to run 23s and if that’s 22.9 or better, I’ll take it because I’m tired of running 23s,” said Knott during her Sweden quarantine.

From Nagasaki, Knott, Griffin, Kho and PATAFA secretary-general Terry Capistrano will fly back to Tokyo on July 26 where they will rendezvous with pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, who is scheduled to plane in on Friday from Formia, Italy where he has trained for almost two years now.

Obiena will plunge into action on July 31 while Knotts’s turn is on August 2.

And there, Knott hopes to make the country proud.

“Being an Olympian is an opportunity to put the greatest flag on my chest to show out, not just represent,” she said.