NEW CLARK CITY — Fil-American Kristina Knott uncorked a hot start in the preliminary heats and her breakthrough stint in the Southeast Asian Games proved hotter than the early morning sun Saturday.

Impressive as the lanky Florida-based runner, she crushed the national and Southeast Asian Games record in the women’s 200-meter event during the qualifying heat of the track and field competitions.

She ran the preliminary heat like a house on fire on the way to registering a speedy record time of 23.07, a good 23 seconds better off than the old SEAG mark of 23.30 set by Supavadee Khawpeag of Thailand during the 2001 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.’

That likewise erased the 33-year-old national 200m record of 23.35 owned by track and field great Lydia De Vega established way back 1986.

Knotts’ extraordinary feat early in the day Saturday made her extremely favored to win the gold in the event later in the afternoon same day with an eye of meeting the Tokyo Olympics qualifying standard of 22.80. (IAMIGO/CNS)