The Tokyo heat got the better of Kristina Marie Knott as she bowed out from the women’s 200m run in the Summer Olympic Games at the National Stadium on Monday, August 2.

The 25-year-old Knott clocked 23.80 seconds and placed last among five competitors in heat 7 topped by American Jenna Prandini, who clocked 22.56. 

When all the times from the 41 runners were collated, the Filipino-American Knott finished 37th, well out of the top 24 semifinal cut.

“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,” said Knott’s coach Roshaan Griffin.

“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.” 

The 24 runners who advanced to the semifinals are set to compete later in the day.

Knott was rushed to the medical station immediately after crossing the finish line, vomiting and feeling nauseated due to heat stress coming from extended exposure to the summer heat in the Japanese capital.

“She suffered heat exhaustion,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association marketing and communications director Edward Kho.

“She stayed after the race at the medical station in the stadium for about an hour. Rehydrated. She felt ill even before the gun start. After crossing the finish line she was vomiting and dazed.”

“Thanks for the prayers of support. She is resting in her room now,” added Kho.

The best time of the heats came from Namibia’s Christine Mboma who clocked 22.11. Other topnotchers of their respective heats were Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou (22.30), Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (22.22), Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (22.26), Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan (22.76), and Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel (22.74). 

In the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, Knott smashed the SEA Games record twice in one day in the women’s 200m event. 

She currently holds the Philippine record of 23.01 seconds, which she set in the final.

Knott has been representing the Philippines since the 2018 Asian Games and has been competing in Olympic qualifying meets.

She qualified via the universality rule and battled COVID-19 after booking a ticket to the quadrennial meet. – Rappler.com