Trying out new technology and making the necessary adjustments have been the order of the day for Filipino-American sprinter Kristina Marie Knott for the last two days.
Knott got a feel of how it’s like wear carbon fibre-plated kicks, while working out exclusively at the Transcosmos Track and Field Stadium in Isahaya City in southern Nagasaki.
“That’s going to be the shoes that she is going to wear during the prelims,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association spokesman Edward Kho as he watched Knott make her way through the first half of the 400-meter synthetic-surfaced oval.
The 25-year-old Knott will need a few more days to get used to her new, lightweight, neon blue, 136-gram pair of Asics shoes.
But Knott’s new pair kicks is said to give sprinters explosive speed, with its hexagonal, pyramid shaped, spikeless studs.
Knott, whose road to the Olympic Games was temporarily derailed by her COVID-19 infection four weeks ago, was greeted by the blazing summer weather when she started working out at the track on Wednesday morning.
She didn’t mind the temperature that ranged from 32*C and 34*C when she ran around the oval and began training for her lone event (200 meters) in the Tokyo Olympics, knowing it simulated the conditions she will be experiencing at the National Stadium in Kasumigaoka at the Shinjuku area in Tokyo.
“Convenient,” said Knott on Facebook Live as she described the stadium, where she will do her routines for three days.
Knott, who is with coach Rohsaan Griffin and strength and conditioning coach Carlo Buzzichelli, will train at the Transcosmos until Monday.
After that, Knott moves to another venue, because the Transcosmos will be used as COVID-19 vaccination facility for local residents.
“Relaxed lang siya, pero focused. I like her state of mind going into competition,” said Kho, who paid the group a visit and watched as Knott in her first hour of training.
“It was a great opening day. We had a good session on both the weight room and the track,” said Griffin.
There will be no distractions during the training sessions, since their team will use the stadium all by themselves.
On Saturday, Knott and her coaches will go to Shimabara municipal oval in Shimabara City to practice.
After that, Knott will be in Tokyo for the women’s 200-meter sprints, where she will try to cross the 23-second barrier.