His wife, Teri (Steer), participated in the 2000 Olympics inSydney, Australia. A slender, rangy figure in home-team red gathers a kick return on his 10-yard line. Obviously, hes an extremely talented young man, but the thing that separates him from the average 17-year-old is his poise, Holloway said. His start was flawed and he could not match the power of the medalists down the homestretch. 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? "Now,he might catch his mom, though.". hide caption. He understands what he stands for and what hes representing., It was a blazing 200 meters by the entire group and a tight finish but Erriyon Knighton did ithe finished 3rd to make the Olympic team as a 17 year old. If the Cantwell name sounds familiar in the sport, it is. He and another football teammate and friend of Sipps son, Joe Jr., moved in with the Sipp family, staying with them for seven months. 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. "There were a lot of people wanting to take pictures with me at the start of the school year," he remembers. "After I announced it, I had a lot of people telling me that I shouldn't have done it, that I wasn't ready," Knighton explains. Knighton did not participate in track-and-field events until around two years earlier during his freshman year. They have talked him out of the Hellcat, with its exorbitant insurance premiums. It took a month to decide. WebTwo-sport athlete in football and track. As. There were strength workouts in the weight room and conditioning on the track. 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. But when his coach asked him to join track in his freshman year, he committed. Erriyon Knighton is an American runner who broke the record set by the legendary runner Usain Bolt in the Fellow Florida athlete and Jamaican international Briana Williams, then 17, went with Nike in January of 2020. Im probably thinking about breaking the world record, Knighton said. Jackson said the pressure of being in an Olympic family doesn't get to him. It is just the start of a four-minute highlights reel,external-link posted in June 2020. Hailing from Tampa, Florida, the teenager entered his junior year at Tampa's Hillsborough High School in 2021, according to the high His career path, though, veered from football fields to the tracks built around them. The next Olympics are only three years off, so Knighton can build on whatever hes able to do in Tokyo when hes 20 and competing for a spot in Paris in 2024, or even at age 24 when the Olympics are in Los Angeles in 2028. His training involves a lot of leg workouts, like cleans and squats. On some weekends, he goes to Gainesville to train with the coach at the University of Florida. Garcia said when Hillsborough was preparing for an opponent with an athletic quarterback, Knighton would volunteer to simulate him on the scout team. "Not an option of mine to go play football.". "That Tokyo experience is something no-one can ever take from you, I will always have that experience. While hopes remain high for the rising Olympic star's sprinting career, Knighton's athletic roots were in football. It was his third straight national title, and fourth in five years, dating back to the 8-under class. World indoor records from Hugues Fabrice Zango and Ryan Crouser, plus a handful of world U20 records set by teenage talents Sasha Zhoya and Erriyon Knighton in 2021, are among the latest marks to have been ratified. With a spot on the Olympic team on the line in Oregon, he reset the mark with a 20.04 on Friday, then a blazing 19.88 in the semifinals. There are deep passes down the sideline, jet sweeps that show his ability to pull away from people. He still has a lot of self-motivation. You couldnt get him tired, he said. Unable to see the scoreboard immediately at Louisiana State, Knighton reacted with little emotion to his victory. He tore away from the rest immediately, a blue sweat band around his head, long blue spandex shorts and tank top to match. To see all of the 2020 AAU Junior Olympics results, click here. Hes just doing an amazing job, and the world is just starting to see what hes able to do in track and field.. At the Tokyo Games, Knighton, at 17, was the youngest American track Olympian since the renowned miler Jim Ryun in 1964. In Tokyo, Knighton finished a close fourth after the Canadian gold medalist Andre de Grasse and his American teammates Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles. "It felt great," said the mild-mannered Jackson, who won by more than 13 feet and who opened the day by throwing 55-05.50, about 10 feet better than his personal best, set last year. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser. ' recalls Garcia, remembering that Ryun was working as a newspaper photographer. 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. Similarly, Erriyon Knighton is of American origin. For now, hes only looking ahead one month, to an exciting chance to introduce himself to the world. Jackson, no doubt, has gotten muscular. Twelve years after Ryun achieved the feat, sprinter Dwayne Evans also made the Olympics at 17, just a few months older than Knighton is now, and won bronze in the 200-meter in Montreal in 1976. Knighton's decision marks the third time in a year that a high school sprint athlete has turned pro. He considers himself a good student; he gets all his work done. He remembers hearing people cheering, and that it helped. Students, teachers, cafeteria workers, custodians, the place erupted, said Eric Brooks, the schools athletic director. Jamaicas reigning Olympic champion Omar McLeod did not start the final after winning his heat in 13.16, with Holloway a hundredth of a second faster in the second heat. Sports Science Is Changing How Female Olympians Train. 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Knighton added that compared with the Junior Olympics, he's finally getting some competition: "Well, the huge difference is you've got to run. He starts his day with like 10 eggs in the morning and likes a pound of ribeye every night. Living in Tampa, with the championships from the Buccaneers and Lightning and even the Rays, the type of athlete that he is, hes embracing putting the city on his back and bringing awareness to track and field, Terry said. Youll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. If she asked him to put his toys away, he would do it running. He has so much untapped ability. I talked to him before the USA Championships, and I said, You have to run the 200 meters. You cant take it as, Oh, my God, I have to win this USA Trials. If you run 200 meters to the best of your ability, youre going to be fine.. I feed off of stuff like that.. Hed line up as quarterback and nobody could catch him, and hed laugh., 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton and @LylesNoah lead the second 200m semi of the night @usatf | #TrackFieldTrials21 x #TokyoOlympics, NBC / https://t.co/X4DjdJu4po pic.twitter.com/336j9Tgtsa, #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) June 27, 2021. Just weeks after Swizz Beatz teased that a Lil Kim VERZUZ battle might be in the works. Having an offensive line coach work with a skinny receiver ended up being the perfect pairing. As a 16-year-old at the 2020 Junior Olympics, Knighton ran the 100 in 10.29 and the 200 in 20.33 a national age group record. Knighton didnt notice he was fast until that Junior Olympics race. meet. In June, the then 17-year-old became the youngest American man to make a United States Olympic athletics team in 57 years. Knighton is still learning off the track as well. He followed the decision made by Tamari Davis, a then-16-year-old who also turned pro in January of 2020. At a Florida meet in June, the teenager shattered Bolt's under-18 200-meter record set in 2003. We would go out and run. Doubling up on the Lightning releases this year. 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. Should Knighton remain healthy and qualify for the world championships in July, he would be expected by many to win a medal, and possibly to finish atop the podium. At Tuesday's 200-meter semifinal, Knighton came in at 20.02 seconds. 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. Usain Bolts longstanding junior 200m record was shattered by Florida teenager Erriyon Knighton at an American Track League meet in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 31. Knighton continues to show up toschool. 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. How are people coping with having to make do with less? 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. He is younger than any US Olympic male track and field athlete since miler Jim Ryun in 1964, according to Olympedia.org. With latest scores and headlines sent straight to your device, personalisation and much more, ensure you have a great sporting life with BBC Sport. 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. Refresh page. After that race, he gestured to "Knighton" on his bib, as if to say, "Remember this name.". He goes about his business the right way and takes this very seriously. 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. Required fields are marked *, John Walker Jul 28, 2021 at 2:49 pm. According to NBC, he became the youngest male track athlete to reach the final of an individual Olympic race in 125 years. He thinks hed like to study medicine, because he has family members that could help him out, like his mom, a nurse. If we want to have longevity in the sport, we cant beat him up, Holloway said, noting that the Jamaicans also developed Bolt carefully. The star-studded lineup shared a medley of Xs biggest hits. Knighton noticed that the workouts for track were much harder than football. As Knighton competed in Oregon, Sipp watched on TV from home with his family, cheering him on, especially in Sunday nights finals, which were held after midnight back in Tampa. John Regis, agent of Knighton and the 200m record-holder in the UK, has some insights. Jackson is certainly a chip off the block, weighing a reported 11 pounds, 2 ounces at birth. Knighton chose to turn professional while a junior at Tampa Hillsborough High School. He is younger than any US Olympic male track and field athlete since miler Jim Ryun in 1964, according to Olympedia.org. But Knighton shaved more than three-tenths of a second from his previous best of 19.84. 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. As a As a television camera reached him, he crouched on the track and smiled, but it was a smile of contemplating what might have been. Running in 200m against other 16-year-olds, he stormed home in 20.33 seconds. Running sprints wasnt a path to Olympic history, but just a way to get faster for football season. With that time for the 200 meter dash, he set a new national record at the Amateur Athletic Union, and became the US no.1 mark. The basic measure of speed is stride length times stride frequency. By the way, Jackson who represents the Blue Thunder Track Clubin Columbia. "By the end of that year, I realised that I was kind of separated from the pack and faster than most people.". Before he exited the curve, the race was effectively over. In an interview with Track and Field News, given back in February, Knighton remarked, I believe if I work hard, I will eventually develop to be a world-class 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. But he slept on his mom's lap the whole night.". In the end, he had help from former Hillsborough football and track star Jeremiah Green in making the decision to go ahead and sign. At the Olympic trials in June, Knighton recorded the fastest time in the semifinal of the men's 200-meter event. It's breaking us," his father joked. That doesnt mean he doesnt goof around in class though. Click on the large blue power icon at the top. At last weekends U.S. Olympic Trials, Knighton crossed the finish line third behind Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, good enough to earn a spot in Tokyo with a new under-20 world record of 19.84 seconds. When I talk to him about a race plan, about his training, he trusts how hes being coached. He likes the weight training, but it hurts. "It's the first night, and you know how electrifying the first night of the Olympics is with everything going on," Christian said. Im soaking it all up, all the knowledge., He has also previously acknowledged comparisons to Bolt, even ahead of beating his record. Expectations that day were as wispy as the tailwind. The gun went off. 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. The Bolt 20.33 seconds is a short amount of time to change somebodys life. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/sports/olympics/track-sprinter-knighton-bolt.html. But international expectation is a heavy weight to put on the narrow shoulders of a teenage sprinter, no matter how precocious. I told him a long time ago: He has no idea what hes doing, he said. Knighton finished fourth in 19.93 a stunning performance for a teenager. Two months after graduating from high school, US sprinter Erriyon Knighton stood on the podium in Oregon having become the youngest men's 200m runner ever to medal at a World Athletics Championships. Erriyon Knighton is the fastest teenager since Usain Bolt, and has even bested Bolt's time in the 200 at the same age. Erriyon Knighton, just out of high school, has already lowered Bolts world junior record in the 200 meters. 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. He wants to be the best version of himself. When he joined track as a freshman following his coach's request, he saw it as a training ground that would allow him to be a better football receiver and be able to run quicker on the football field. Everything was online and he didnt really have access to a computer, so it was good to have him here. His head perfectly still, arms pumping but relaxed, a light wind at his back, Knighton drew away from the field with each long stride. In an exclusive interview with Hypebeast, Smith discussed the new documentary and reflected on his bond with the shoes that bear his name. This Teen Has Already Broken Some of Usain Bolts Records. Why would he think otherwise? ", More:Four-star football recruit Erriyon Knighton of Tampa breaks national 200-meter mark. Dad's just harder on me, I guess.". I didnt think I was strong enough, he said. Hubris fed by hype. 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. People forget that Bolt was really good at 16 and 17 and when he was 21, 22, he was unbeatable.. "That's a really good question," he said. 2021 U.S Olympic Team Trials, 3rd (200-meter) 2020 Track & Field Junior Olympics, 1st (200-meter) Erriyon Knighton Men's 200m: Bronze Basic Information Gender: Male Born: 1/29/2004 Status: Active Residences Hometown: Tampa, FL High School: The home team holler on the touchline as their man's easy, fluid stride eats up the field and carries him to the endzone. Tokyo 2020 marks Knighton's first Olympic Games. He looks up, spots a hole in the onrushing defence and darts through, evading After beginning life as a football wide receiver throughout high school, Knightons speed soon saw him urged by his coach to take up track in his freshman year at college just three years ago. Is younger than any US Olympic male track and field athlete since Jim... Hes doing, he stormed home in 20.33 seconds is a short amount time! Him about a race plan, about his business the right way and this. Didnt really have access to a computer, so it was his third national. 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