By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Kristina Knott and Eric Cray produced golden performances at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Burnaby, Canada over the weekend with hopes of boosting their respective drives for a return trip to the Olympics.
Knott, a 2020 Tokyo Olympian, lorded it over the Swangard Stadium by timing 11.64 seconds to rule the women’s 100 meters, beating local bet and eventual silver medalist Victoria McIntyre (11.95sec) and teammate Zion Corrales-Nelson (11.95sec).
The national record holder followed it up with a bronze-medal feat in the women’s 200m, clocking 23.42sec to finish behind gold medalist Zoe Sherar (23.14sec) and Jacqueline Madogo (23.20sec) of Canada.
Cray, a six-time Southeast Asian Games champion, also bolstered his Paris Games campaign by registering 49.95sec to dominate the men’s 400m hurdles.
He edged eventual silver medalist Guillermo Campos of Mexico (50.63sec) and bronze medalist Drake Schneider of the United States (50.81sec).
This was only the second time this season that Cray, a 2016 Rio Olympian, breached below the 50-second mark after timing 49.86sec at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California last April. He registered 50.11sec for the gold medal at the Edmonton Athletics Invitational also in Canada last Thursday, June 13.
Knott and Cray are making last-ditch efforts to hit the Olympic qualifying standard in their respective events before the June 30 deadline. The standard in the women’s 100m is 11.07sec, and 48.70sec in the men’s 400m hurdles.
The duo aims for those times when they compete in the La Classique d’athletisme de Montreal also in Canada on Friday, June 21.
