Two and a half years ago, hed never been in a track meet. For now, hes only looking ahead one month, to an exciting chance to introduce himself to the world. On Sunday night in Oregon, he earned a spot in next months Olympics in Tokyo in the 200 meters, and at 17 years old, the rising senior at Hillsborough High School in Tampa became the youngest male U.S. Olympic track athlete in 57 years, since Jim Ryun in the 1964 games, also in Tokyo. US sprinter Erriyon Knighton ( Getty Images) World U20 records* were broken in mens sprint events in two different continents just five hours apart on Saturday (30) as Botswanas Letsile Tebogo ran 9.96 for 100m in Gaborone and Erriyon Knighton clocked 19.49 for 200m in Baton Rouge. Knightons speed was easy to see on the football field, making enough plays as a lanky receiver to draw scholarship offers from football programs like Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee and Auburn. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Knighton thought about the possibility of being recruited for college track that would be taken away with the Adidas contract. But, as the pandemic bit, the points switched. It was at the Junior Olympics last August that he first broke a national record, on his way to smashing Bolt's world record for the age group. In June, the then 17-year-old became the youngest American man to make a United States Olympic athletics team in 57 years. Some goes to his phone bill and some to his mom. I feed off of stuff like that.. "That Tokyo experience is something no-one can ever take from you, I will always have that experience. As a teenager representing his country on the largest platform in sports, Knighton has a chance to be a national star, one of the biggest stories of the Olympics. Aside from his professional running career, Knighton lives a relatively normal teenage life. In 2018, he was inducted into theMissouri Sports Hall of Fame. It was his third straight national title, and fourth in five years, dating back to the 8-under class. And, break a leg, in winning Gold in Tokyo Erriyon! Sipp remembers how he didnt always have the confidence he now carries on the track. Who are you? In addition to Terry, Knighton has had a few training sessions with University of Florida track coach Mike Mouse Holloway, who has worked directly with Team USA and has coached nine medal-winning athletes and at least one competitor in every Olympics since 1992. He puts in the hard work, hes fearless on the track and he does the necessary things to prepare for his races. To watch Knighton run the Olympic 200 final from Tokyo in August, an estimated 500 people gathered at a viewing party at Hillsborough High, cheering, waving flags. Knighton didnt play football that first fall, but Sipp, now in his 15th year as the schools offensive line coach and head track coach, told him his speed was something that would be special, that he would do well if he wanted to run track. But when his coach asked him to join track in his freshman year, he committed. "I've got to qualify for the heat so don't exert too much energy, really," he said, appearing relaxed and confident. But Bromell tore an Achilles tendon at the 2016 Rio Olympics and did not reach the 100-meter final in Tokyo despite being a gold medal favorite. A Friday Night Lights scene. Only the top three spots make the Olympic team, and he was competing with a world champion in Noah Lyles, 23, who just missed out on a goal of making the team as a teenager five years ago, finishing fourth in the 2016 Olympic Trials. SATELLITE BEACH Whoever coined the phrase "good things come in small packages" never met Jackson Cantwell. As you watch the footage,external-link you can hear one voice from the stands swear in disbelief as the stagger unfurls and the extent of Knighton's yawning advantage is revealed. Erriyon Knighton reacts after placing third in the Mens 200 Meter Final during day ten of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June "He'll never catch his dad," laughed Christian, who still holds the Missouri Tigers record with a 641-pound press. When I talk to him about a race plan, about his training, he trusts how hes being coached. In Tokyo, five weeks later, he finished fourth in the 200m, one place outside the medals. Instead, as school gridiron grew cold amid an enforced shutdown, a 16-year-old Knighton focused on his side hustle: track. It was impossible. He was recruited to multiple colleges for football but decided to go pro in track before his 17th birthday and signed with Adidas. It all started from there. I was a little fast, he said, but I got faster.. He watches a lot of film, studies his competitors. While on the East Coast of Florida at the AAU Games, Jackson didn't havetoo much free time, although he went parasailing dad stayed grounded at Port Canaveral on Friday. You have entered an incorrect email address! Jackson said the pressure of being in an Olympic family doesn't get to him. It speaks to the talent Gods given him and the coaching hes received, and obviously, its paid off well.. John Regis, agent of Knighton and the 200m record-holder in the UK, has some insights. Erriyon Knighton is an American Sprinter whose parents and family background are still a mystery. Its almost like hes a pogo stick, said Holloway, who is the head coach at the University of Florida and was also head coach of the United States track team at the Tokyo Olympics. At the age of 18, he won the bronze medal in the 200 m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, becoming the youngest ever individual sprint medalist in Championships history. WebOther Career Highlights . The basic measure of speed is stride length times stride frequency. You may have to select a menu option or click a button. Support our work by subscribing to FLORIDA TODAY. A little more money, a few free tracksuits, but still the same teenager. Erriyon Knighton is an American runner who broke the record set by the legendary runner Usain Bolt in the A crowd of about 100 spectators in the bleachers. I wanted to be better than everyone else, he said. Having an offensive line coach work with a skinny receiver ended up being the perfect pairing. Watch this space. I think its remarkable, Ryun said. Knighton didnt notice he was fast until that Junior Olympics race. title at Baylor University. He thinks it would be much harder for him to keep working if he didnt. The Jamaican won in 13.47 (-2.5m/s) to finish She could be facing an $18,000 USD fine and one year in jail. 2023 Hypebeast Limited. Bolt is the classic story of the ingredients you want to have things go right strong family support, friends, really good, stable management and good coaching., If Knighton avoids serious injury and maintains a solid support structure, while his career continues on a normal trajectory, Weyand said, he appears likely to break Bolts 200-meter record of 19.19 once thought untouchable. He looks up, spots a hole in the onrushing defence and darts through, evading a tangle of limbs. Im soaking it all up, all the knowledge., He has also previously acknowledged comparisons to Bolt, even ahead of beating his record. Southeastern Conference powers including Georgia and Alabama showed interest. Erriyon Knighton on the track at Jesuit High School in Tampa, Fla. Knighton finished third during the final in the mens 200-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in June 2021 to qualify for the Olympic team. "In other schools in the area, people say to my class-mates 'you go to school with Erriyon', but for people in my school they see me every day, so it ain't nothing.". Hes learning how to run, how to use his mechanics, how to maximize every inch, Terry said. You dont put a label or a title on the meet. A two-minute highlight reel shows not only his quickness but a shiftiness and ability to weave through defenders, scoring 15 touchdowns in his two seasons of varsity ball. He trusts Coach (Terry) with his life, and thats big. The biggest thing is dont let the experience overwhelm you, and at the same time, enjoy it.. Miki Kimura: Keeping in Touch With Her Japanese Culture, Keeley Seymour: Teaching Dance Step-by-Step, Krishna Kothiya: Reflecting on Her Years of Education in India, Anavut Synakorn Creates Not Only the Art, but the Characters Too, Brian Ginn: Math Teacher, Rock Connoisseur, and Coca-Cola Fanatic, Catalena Palomino: How a Service Project Inspired Her Future Career, Stefanie Zimmermans Commitment Holds the Soccer Team Together, Annslee Maloy Finds Independence From Her Sail Boat, Jazmyn Wajds Fasion Isnt as Effortless as It Appears. I thought if I got a little more training, I could be one of them.. Knighton's decision marks the third time in a year that a high school sprint athlete has turned pro. More than 50 years later, he still holds the American under-20 record in the mile (3:51.3) and had kept the 800-meter record until this May. Erriyon Knighton is now the fourth-fastest man over 200 metres in recorded human history. But a thunderstorm in the middle of his performance delayed the meet, and conditions never were the same, especially trying to get a feel for the moist concrete under his feet. He also marked his personal-best record of 19.88 seconds in a heat that included world champion Noah Lyles, another Team USA athlete heading to the 200-meter final at Tokyo 2020. Teenage Olympic sprinter Erriyon Knighton won the men's 200-meter semifinal event on Tuesday, securing his place in the final taking place on Wednesday. Celebrating the release of Space Jam: A New Legacy.. Only three Americans of any age - Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and Josephus Lyles - went faster that year. Your email address will not be published. Refresh page. Stine Horror Film 'Fear Street Part One: 1994', Laurence Fishburne Says He Still Does Not Know Why 'Matrix 4' Excluded Him. He looks up, spots a hole in the onrushing defence and darts through, evading People often ask whether he wants to be the next Usain Bolt. Then they get stronger and become Secretariat.. Sipp remembers Knightons first track meet. Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. When Ive been able to work with him, his poise has impressed me more than anything else.. For that, Knighton will have to refine his start and gain the strength to stand up taller as he runs, raising his hips to get full leg extension. That is, how adroitly he absorbed the energy of landing with a peak force of about five times his body weight and sprang his body and feet back into the air quickly. I am not the perfect 200m runner, I am still learning as I run it.". Last updated on 12 April 202212 April 2022.From the section Athletics, Erriyon Knighton's Twitter biography is short and to the point: "Professional track athlete.". Hailing from Tampa, Florida, the teenager entered his junior year at Tampa's Hillsborough High School in 2021, according to the high school's HHS Today website. 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