A slender, rangy figure in home-team red gathers a kick return on his 10-yard line. "There were a lot of people wanting to take pictures with me at the start of the school year," he remembers. 19.84 is one of the fastest times ever run at that age. With latest scores and headlines sent straight to your device, personalisation and much more, ensure you have a great sporting life with BBC Sport. Knighton, on the other hand, is just 17 years old and is far too young to be involved in a love affair. He considers himself a good student; he gets all his work done. It was how fast Knighton crossed the finish line at such a young age that was startling. "He'll never catch his dad," laughed Christian, who still holds the Missouri Tigers record with a 641-pound press. Erriyon Knighton is a male sprinter born to Mrs. Knighton ( Mother ) and Mr. Mrs. Knighton hadnt really trained in a weight room, so while he could squat 300 and bench 185 when COVID started, he was able to improve that to squatting 500 and benching 245, adding strength to his 170-pound frame. Im like, Man, youre way faster than those guys. "I don't really try to put my age in it, I just go out there and run like I'm an adult just like they is," he said earlier this week. Erriyon Knighton Parents, Age Height Instagram And Partner. As a television camera reached him, he crouched on the track and smiled, but it was a smile of contemplating what might have been. He finished just off the podium in Wednesday's final. It wouldve been good for silver in 2004 and gold in 2000. Knighton doesnt love running, but he likes it. He is younger than any US Olympic male track and field athlete since miler Jim Ryun in 1964, according to Olympedia.org. "He had a good meet," Christian said. People forget that Bolt was really good at 16 and 17 and when he was 21, 22, he was unbeatable.. That means he bested legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolts under-20 record, too. Ran a wind-legal 20.33 200 at the AAU Junior Olympics in Aug. 2020 for a national record in his age group. But he got away cleanly at the L.S.U. So Knightons camp is trying to make him faster by, in effect, slowing him down. Knightons track career began in 2019 during his freshman year at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, at the suggestion of an assistant football coach. The star-studded lineup shared a medley of Xs biggest hits. Knighton has to look no further than an Olympic peer, Trayvon Bromell, another former Florida high school sprinting star, to realize the possibility and fragility of world-class speed. Like really fast. Knighton is still learning off the track as well. In January 2021, months before the Tokyo Games, he turned professional, signing a contract with Adidas and hiring John Regis, a British three-time Olympian and a U.K. record-holder in the 200, as one of his agents. After his freshman year, Knighton joined a summer track team. Click on the large blue power icon at the top. Knighton's decision marks the third time in a year that a high school sprint athlete has turned pro. Over the quarantine summer, the summer Knighton made the AAU record, Knighton trained with Coach Sipp and a coach from AAU. And, with his recent signing with Adidas, he has more money than hes ever had, most of which goes into the bank. It wasnt hurting me, I just kept running.. Erriyon Knighton, just out of high school, has already lowered Bolts world junior record in the 200 meters. Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images). 2021 U.S Olympic Team Trials, 3rd (200-meter) 2020 Track & Field Junior Olympics, 1st (200-meter) But if Knighton runs like he is in a hurry, he knows he has time on his side. In 2018, he was inducted into theMissouri Sports Hall of Fame. The first of the horror-thriller trilogy hits the streamer on July 2. If this weekends Olympic trials marked Knightons true arrival on the national scene, that process started last August, when he competed at the AAU Junior Olympics in Satellite Beach, Fla. "It could have gone differently if high school season was still going," he told BBC Sport. American Ronnie Baker won the mens 100m in 9.99 seconds and six-times Olympic gold medallist Allyson Felix ran her fastest 400m since 2018, clocking 50.66. 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. He remembers hearing people cheering, and that it helped. Then they get stronger and become Secretariat.. 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. To work your way through the prelims and semis and finals is a major achievement, and at that age, making the Olympic team is even greater. Who Is Erriyon Knighton? Erriyon Knighton Family, Parents, Net Worth, Wife, Biography, Ethnicity. His training involves a lot of leg workouts, like cleans and squats. Knighton was outstanding in his first major competition in Tokyo, where he just missed the Olympic podium and became the youngest teen since Jim Ryun in 1964 to represent the United States. He looks up, spots a hole in the onrushing defence and darts through, evading a tangle of limbs. "Before then you could have asked me what 100m was and I wouldn't have known. "Both got me the same results so far, so I don't know. ' recalls Garcia, remembering that Ryun was working as a newspaper photographer. He misses it though. Now everyone just walks past me just like, 'Hey, Erriyon'. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed. He did get to see the 2012 Games in London. 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. Knightons mother wasnt surprised either. Ryun would run in three Olympics for the United States, winning a silver medal in the 1,500 meters in 1968. Hypebeast is a registered trademark of Hypebeast Hong Kong Ltd. Gain access to exclusive interviews with industry creatives, think pieces, trend forecasts, guides and more. He trusts Coach (Terry) with his life, and thats big. He thinks hed like to study medicine, because he has family members that could help him out, like his mom, a nurse. Part of my scholarship was sweeping up the locker room, and there was this guy in the whirlpool. It wasnt serious, Knighton said. He continued to break his own under-18 record, running a 20.31 in Clermont in April, then a 20.30 in California in May. He followed the decision made by Tamari Davis, a then-16-year-old who also turned pro in January of 2020. "I think he would have done it," Christian said. Knighton took up sprinting in his freshman year of high school after his football coach asked him to join the track team, according to his high schools newspaper. He looks up, spots a hole in the onrushing defence and darts through, evading Garcia said when Hillsborough was preparing for an opponent with an athletic quarterback, Knighton would volunteer to simulate him on the scout team. Way to represent Tampa! pic.twitter.com/9hvgiiSOHO. Hes learning how to run, how to use his mechanics, how to maximize every inch, Terry said. At the time, Knighton wrote on Instagram I know my potential, I see the greatness in me everytime I see my reflection. He was also a part of the brands Impossible Is Nothing campaign, which launched in April. I was running what pros were running, Knighton said of his thinking before turning pro in January 2021. Its the biggest track meet on the planet, but his coaches will try to remind him the race is the same as any other hes run, focusing on the distance and himself and not the world watching him. 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.". Earlier this week, Knighton won his first heat and said that he eased up after the first half of that sprint. Knighton is qualified to race at the US Olympic trials that start in two weeks at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Expectations that day were as wispy as the tailwind. "It has calmed down now. Knighton did not participate in track-and-field events until around two years earlier during his freshman year. If she asked him to put his toys away, he would do it running. He thinks it would be much harder for him to keep working if he didnt. "In Tokyo, I was kinda upset that I had lost, but I just had to think about the big picture and the long run," added Knighton, who turned 18 in January. 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. I feed off of stuff like that.. I wanted to do track all year long, he said. At the age of 16, Knighton accepted a sponsorship agreement with Adidas, foregoing his final two years of amateur competition at Hillsborough High. Knighton, who aspires to go to medical school, started running his freshman year when his football coach said it could help make him faster as a wide receiver. For now, hes only looking ahead one month, to an exciting chance to introduce himself to the world. I wouldnt let him play football now, but if he wasnt an Olympian, he could make a lot of money in football.. As. 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. 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. Zango produced one of the first stand-out performances of 2021. Erriyon hasnt disclosed his parents names to us, but his father was a A crowd of about 100 spectators in the bleachers. He likes the weight training, but it hurts. Embedded in the community for over 20 years, we have established ourselves as Floridas primary access to the Caribbean community. "That Tokyo experience is something no-one can ever take from you, I will always have that experience. He was also born in the United States on January 29, 2004. The comparison is an honor, Knighton said, but, no, he doesnt want to be the next Bolt. According to NBC, he became the youngest male track athlete to reach the final of an individual Olympic race in 125 years. He raced the 100 meter dash at Wharton High. "He was warning up at 140. 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. Having an offensive line coach work with a skinny receiver ended up being the perfect pairing. Here is what we know. It still hasnt hit me yet, the reality of it, Knighton said by phone Tuesday, awaiting a cross-country flight home from Seattle, with a dizzying few weeks ahead before hes off to compete in Japan. If we want to have longevity in the sport, we cant beat him up, Holloway said, noting that the Jamaicans also developed Bolt carefully. He presently owns the world under-18 and world under-20 marks in the 200 meters with a run of 19.84 seconds recorded on June 27, 2021, in the US Olympic Trials. Theyre looking from the outside in. Chilling, like Im a normal person.. Erriyon Knighton, a 17-year-old whose 19.88 in the semifinals broke Bolts under-20 record, took third with a time of 19.84. He wants to be the best version of himself. He has currently amassed 26.6k followers and has posted only 4 posts as of now. Now hes running for the Olympics. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound native of Missouri the son of former Team USA Olympians devoured his competition at this week's AAU National Junior Olympics It wasnt long after that Knighton got a call from Adidas. When Sipp asked Knighton to join the track team, Knighton thought his coach just wanted him to be a faster receiver. As of today, Erriyon Kinghtons parents identities remain unknown to the general public. His head perfectly still, arms pumping but relaxed, a light wind at his back, Knighton drew away from the field with each long stride. Erriyon hasnt disclosed his parents names to us, but his father was a basketball player in the past. Erriyon Knighton Men's 200m: Bronze Basic Information Gender: Male Born: 1/29/2004 Status: Active Residences Hometown: Tampa, FL High School: This week, his son's performancessoothed his soul. They won't be the only ones getting familiar with Knighton's fame over the next few years. Meet the New Assistant Principal: Jonathan Gunn. To score more touchdowns. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Knighton is up for the Mens Rising Star Award along with French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati, Jamaican triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert, Botswanan sprinter Letsile Tebogo and Kenyan 800m runner Emmanuel Wanyonyi. She was a two-time NCAA shot put champion at SMU but could not make this trip,staying hometo provide medicine for their 17-year-old dachshund, Ali, who has Alzheimer's. It all started from there. I thought if I got a little more training, I could be one of them.. He was straying off a well-worn path to the top. There were strength workouts in the weight room and conditioning on the track. Then, he breezed through the semifinal, winning yet again. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Holloway, the head Olympic track coach, spoke to Knighton after the race. Garcia, now 68 as Knightons football coach at Hillsborough, was a freshman football player at Washburn University in Topeka in 1970 when he befriended Ryun, who lived in Topeka and used the schools whirlpool to help with a leg injury as he trained between Olympics. The field also included a pair of Britons: Zharnel Hughes (who took gold at the 2018 European championships) and Adam Gemili (fourth at the 2016 Olympics and 2019 worlds). Already whitelisted us? Knighton has a chance to continue what has been a wildly successful run for sports in Tampa, with the NHLs Tampa Bay Lightning now three wins away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions, baseballs Tampa Bay Rays coming off a World Series appearance and the NFLs Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady winning the Super Bowl in Tampa in February and now seeking another title. Unlike many Olympic hopefuls, athletics is a relatively new sport for Knighton. Yohan Blake of Jamaica, the 2012 Olympic silver He is back in school, walking the corridors of Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida, brushing shoulders with current class-mates and former football team-mates. Knighton, who turned 17 in January, ran down Olympic 100m favorite Trayvon Bromell to win the 200m in 20.11, shaving 0.02 seconds off Bolts 2003 time. Hes like a baby colt thats born and can barely walk, Holloway said. I was running what pros were running, Knighton said. Hes going to have quite an experience, and I know the Lord will give him the right things to say, the right things to do, Ryun said by phone Tuesday night. The teenager was deflated. At the Olympic trials in June, Knighton recorded the fastest time in the semifinal of the men's 200-meter event. Its almost like hes a pogo stick, Knightons coach said. He enters this weekends United States track and field championships in Eugene, Ore., as a favorite, and is expected to qualify for the world championships to be held there in July, when he believes he can win. At the end of the day, they really just help me. While at Hillsborough, Sipp has watched and coached several athletes who eventually became professional, or who were given full track scholarships. I think about that all the time. The latest win is certainly not a bad start to the Olympic career of the 17-year-old who is the youngest track athlete on Team USA. I don't think he was too surprised at getting the record.". That doesnt mean he doesnt goof around in class though. Watch this space. If you just go out and run like I know you can run, youll beat them. And he did, and he beat them. Hes not afraid to compete, and thats a big part of being successful in any athletic endeavor.. "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 just doing an amazing job, and the world is just starting to see what hes able to do in track and field.. Idon't think about much when I'm out there, just winning the meet," he said. Before he exited the curve, the race was effectively over. He was just a fraction of a second off Usain Bolts world record in the 200. His coach marveled at the finesse and elasticity of Knightons stride. From that day, he never looked back. You dont put a label or a title on the meet. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound native of Missouri the son offormer Team USA Olympians devoured his competition at this week's AAU National Junior Olympics Track & Field eventmuch like he manhandles those foot-long steak and cheese subshe often craves. Christian, 39, said his "playing weight" back in his prime was between 300 and 350 pounds on his 6-5 frame. Stay updated on the latest news with our carefully curated newsletters, Discover the latest news and more with instant updates, Who is Erriyon Knighton? He leaves biomechanics to his coaches. They told him they saw a lot of potential. TOKYO Erriyon Knighton may be one of the youngest people in decades to represent the U.S. in men's track at the Olympics but he sailed through to the final of the 200-meter to compete with the fastest men in the world. Athletics offers a huge range sport, in jumps, throws and running. I know thats easier said than done, but thats the key. He finished fourth in 19.93 seconds behind the Olympic champion Canadian Andre De Grasse, silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, and bronze Erriyon Knighton is now the fourth-fastest man over 200 metres in recorded human history. And as we approach this years much-anticipated Tokyo Olympic Games, we take a closer look at the 6 3 sprinting prodigy and ask: who is Erriyon Knighton? 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