Erriyon Knighton Has Arrived With 200m National Record
Erriyon Knighton Has Arrived With 200m National Record
The 16-year-old broke the sophomore class and AAU records in the 200m, running 20.33 on Friday at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
Erriyon Knighton put everyone on notice on Friday.
The Tampa Hillsborough High School sophomore, 16, secured a new sophomore national record and 16-year-old age group record with his blistering wind-legal and US No. 1 time of 20.33 seconds (+0.3) for 200 meters at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
Knighton absolutely shattered the previous Games age 15-16 age group record of 20.62 seconds, which was last accomplished by MGX's Tyrese Cooper in 2016.
But the performance went ever further than that.
Knighton's effort also surpassed the sophomore class record of 20.51, also accomplished by Cooper in 2017, and more impressively, the 16-year-old age group record of 20.37, which had stood since 2001 and was produced by Texas athlete DaBryan Blanton.
Knighton's time was 0.20 seconds away from the World U18 record of 20.13, which was set by Usain Bolt in 2013. Bolt also owns the world age group record for 16-year-olds with the same performance.
Knighton himself accomplished an incredible feat, chopping off 0.56 seconds from his personal best of 20.89 seconds in July. The sub-21 performance was only the second time he had eclipsed that barried in his career, and it came exactly a year after his first AAU Junior Olympic Games title in 2019, when he ran a then-personal best of 21.15 seconds.
Knighton only began competing in track and field a year ago as a freshman, giving up football in favor of the oval, where he has since lowered his 100m time to 10.4.
Knighton will run in the 100m finals on Saturday.
Related Content
- Will Anyone Take Down World Champion Noah Lyles In 200m At Diamond League Zurich?
Aug 31, 2023
- Erriyon Knighton Is NOT WORRIED About Noah Lyles At USAs
Jun 25, 2022
- U.S. Men or Jamaican Women? Which Sprinters Will Have Better World Championships?
Jun 2, 2022
- Travyon Bromell DOMINATES Pre Classic 100m With Early Celebration
May 28, 2022
- Predicting Top 3 In Pre Classic Men's 100m
May 25, 2022
- Will Erriyon Knighton Be Better Than Usain Bolt?
May 2, 2022
- Penn Relays 2024 Preview Hype
Apr 23, 2024
- Qualifying Standards For Penn Relays 2024: Here's What To Know
Apr 23, 2024
- Diamond League Xiamen Reactions, Plus Previewing Penn Relays | The FloTrack Podcast (Ep. 663)
Apr 23, 2024