FILIPINO-American sprinter Kristina Knott and Filipino-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe are the country’s latest athletes bound for the Tokyo Olympic Games next month.
Knott will run in the women’s 200-meter dash after being awarded by World Athletics with a university place or “wild card” while Watanabe was given a quota slot for Asia by the International Judo Federation in the women’s 63kg division, according to judo chief Dave Carter.
The Olympic-bound national team has swelled to 15, surpassing the 13 standard-bearers in eight sports who saw action in the 2016 Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With exactly a month to go before the COVID-19 delayed games set July 23 to Aug. 8 in the Japanese capital, Knott, 25, will be among the 57 runners who will compete in the 200-meter dash while Watanabe, 25, who was born in Cebu, will be the first Pinay judoka to see action in the Olympics.
It will be the third straight Olympics that the country will be represented in judo after Tomohiko Noshina and Kodo Nakano competed in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio editions, respectively.
“The final word (from the International Judo Federation) came (Tuesday) midnight last night. The international federation wrote to Philippine Olympic Committee president Cong. Bambol Tolentino about her qualification,” Carter said.
“Of course, president Bambol needs to send confirmation that yes, Kiyomi will participate,” he added.
Four athletes were actually added to the national squad in a span of six days after shooter Jayson Valdez earned his slot last Friday and pro golfer Juvic Pagunsan acquired his last Tuesday.
The quartet joined the distinguished list of pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, weightlifters Hidylin Diaz and Elreen Ann Ando, gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, boxers Felix Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, Irish Magno, skateboarder Margielyn Arda Didal, rower Cris Nievarez and taekwondo jin Kurt Ryan Barbosa.
Except for Rio Olympic silver medalist Diaz, who will vie in her fourth straight Olympics, the rest are making their debut in the greatest sports show on earth.
Virtually certain to join them are golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan, who are currently ranked ninth and 42nd, respectively, in the latest International Golf Federation Olympic qualifying rankings.
The top 60 golfers in the list who will be eligible to play in the women’s Olympic golf tournament will be known by June 29, with the Nos. 1 to 15 ranked golfers earning outright slots while the remaining slots will be allotted to the rest, limited to two per country not in the Magic 15.
“KK’s universality place is not a mere wild card but she actually earned it since she has been actively competing in World Athletic qualifying meets, gaining points with her participation,” Philippine Athletics Track and Field Associations marketing and communications chief Edward Kho said.
“Had she not taken part in these competitions, it is highly unlikely that she would be considered by the world body for a universality place,” Kho, a former UP athletic squad member, added.
Knott and fellow Olympic hopeful Eric Shawn Cray were entered in the Karlstad Grand Prix in Karlstad, Sweden yesterday (Tuesday in Europe) but did not vie in their respective events.
The competition was held in rainy and very cold conditions, according to a report posted in the World Athletics website.
