The rise of the American Erriyon Knighton as a 200m sprinter is a legitimate threat to one of Usain Bolt’s outstanding record. On April 30, 2022, at the LSU Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge Louisiana, the eighteen-year-old Erriyon ran an unbelievable 19.49 seconds over the 200m to obliterate his own junior record of 19.84. In the process, Knighton became the fourth fastest over the distance. Knighton has chopped off 0.35 of a second from his previous World Junior Record of 19.84. By any objective standard, this is massive. Knighton performance has certainly put the entire track and field community on notice.
Reflecting on Bolt’s greatness
Every devout track and field analyst or sports enthusiast knows that Usain St. Leo Bolt is the greatest track athlete ever. Certainly, Bolt is the best ever over the 100m and 200m; his World Records of 9.58 and 19.19, respectively, speak volumes. Indeed, Bolt's accomplishments are astounding, and will be a most difficult task to surpass.
What makes Bolt unique are his consecutive three-peat Olympic 100m and 200m titles, his three World Championship 100m titles, his four consecutive 200m World Championship titles. Plus, Bolt has the World Records in both the 100m and 200m as aforestated, and the Olympic and World Championship Records in same. In addition, Bolt is part of three Olympic 4 x 100m Relay victories (one was retroactively disqualified based on adverse analytic finding in relay-mate Nesta Carter's sample), and four World Championship 4 x 100m Relay victories.
Indeed, Bolt was twice a member of the World Record quartet that ran 37.04 and 36.84. There can be no doubt that based on times, records, consistency, dominance, longevity and the sheer magnitude of accomplishments, Bolt is leaps and bounds ahead of all track athletes. There is no track and field athlete in history who was able to replicate successes at the Olympic and World Championship as did, Usain Bolt. None!
Knighton in great company
Currently, only Usain Bolt (19.19), Yohan Blake (19.26) and Michael Johnson (19.32), have gone faster than Erriyon Knighton's 19.49 in the 200m. And when one considers that Knighton is only eighteen years old, with a trajectory that puts him well ahead of Usain Bolt by age comparison, one can only infer that within two years maximum, it is highly that Knighton will break Bolt's 200m world record. Knighton has started his exploits by making his first 200m Olympic finals at the 2020 Tokyo Games, as a seventeen-year-old, a feat Usain Bolt had failed to accomplish.
The question is, given Knighton's young age, just how fast will he be able to go? Will Knighton be the first athlete to run sub 19 seconds? While it is not a given that Knighton will break Bolt's 200m Record, based on age and current form, it is highly likely that he will. It is my considered opinion that, the 6ft 3" Erriyon Knighton will in short order, rewrite the pages of history.
Freelance Sportswriter
Edited by Raymond Byfield
Erriyon Knighton photo courtesy of www.teamusa.org
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