Judoka Watanabe and sprinter Knott also through to Olympics
IT’S now 15 and counting as far Filipino athletes qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Filipino-foreign athletes Kiyomi Watanabe of taekwondo and Kristina Knott of athletics have officially earned their spots in the rescheduled Olympics kicking off next month.
Judoka Watanabe qualified by way of the continental quota in the women’s -63kg class as released by the International Judo Federation on Wednesday.
It was announced around the same time as Filipino-American Knott received university places in the women’s 200m from World Athletics.
The two’s Olympic qualification came a day after professional golfer Juvic Pagunsan also booked his spot as among the top 60 players in the rankings. He is currently ranked 49th.
Both Filipino-Japanese Watanabe and Ms. Knott are making their Olympic debuts in Tokyo.
Unfortunately for 25-year-old Knott, she tested positive for COVID-19 as she received news of her Olympic qualification. She, however, is asymptomatic and is fully vaccinated.
The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association in a press conference on Wednesday said Ms. Knott is now in isolation and that it is confident that she will be fully recovered in time for the Tokyo Olympics.
Apart from the two and Mr. Pagunsan, Filipino athletes who have qualified earlier are pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Caloy Yulo, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Erleen Ann Ando, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, and shooter Jayson Valdez.
The total qualified athletes to date has already surpassed the 13 that saw action at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
The rescheduled Olympic Games happens from July 23 to Aug. 8. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo