Kristina Knott was left confused upon learning that she tested positive for COVID-19, thus barring her from participating in the Karlstad GP 2021 in Sweden this week.
The Filipina sprinter actually got the unfortunate development from teammate Eric Cray, who also wasn’t able to take part in the athletic meet as he was among her close contacts.
“I was supposed to compete the day before but my teammate Eric Cray, he told me, ‘You tested positive.’ I was like, everyone tested negative but me,” she recalled to Radyo5’s Power and Play.
“I feel great. If anything, I’m confused. Because everyone who I’m with tested negative, I’m the only one who tested positive. And I feel great. So I don’t know if it’s a false positive.”
That’s why she felt weird as it coincided with the news that she made the Tokyo Olympics via Universality rule, making her the 15th Filipino athlete to qualify in the upcoming Summer Games.
“When I first heard the news, it was mixed emotions,” she said. “So when I got the news, I was actually on my Covid bed. So it was a weird feeling — I qualified, but I’m on my bed.”
Nonetheless, Knott is extremely honored to finally make it, for it will be her first-ever foray in the Olympics.
The Fil-American’s preparations for the highly-anticipated tilt have suffered a hit following her positive result, though. She was supposed to race in Finland, but that has been scratched in her itinerary.
Instead, she’s flying back to the States for a training camp before heading to Nagasaki as part of her build-up. And then she heads to Tokyo to fully focus on the July 23-August 8 festivities.
Her road to the Games may have seen a reroute, but that doesn’t dampen one bit the excitement Knott is feeling.
And the aim to break the national record of 23.01 seconds in the 200-meter dash is what pushes the two-time SEA Games gold medalist to do the best she can in the most prestigious sporting event.
“I am trying to get out of the 23s. I no longer want to run 23 seconds. So if that’s 22.9, I’ll take it because I’m tired of running 23,” said Knott, who also owns the 100-meter NR at 11.27 seconds.
“The 200 is a rhythm race. So I know, like, me and my coach, we’re going to work nothing but rhythm … Especially because I’m only going to focus on the 200 which is good,” she added.
“Because I know a lot this year, I focused a lot more usual on 100, so I’m excited to just really to train and focus on 200.”
