American Erriyon Knighton became the fourth fastest man in 200m history with his time of 19 sec 49/100th (wind: +1.4 m/s) on Saturday at the Baton Rouge meeting (United States). United).
Knighton, 4th in the distance at the Tokyo Olympics, smashed his own junior world record (19.84 in June 2021 during the American Olympic selections) and he is only 3/10ths from the world record of Jamaican Usain Bolt (19.19) which is from 2009.
Only Bolt, his compatriot Yohan Blake (19.26) and American legend Michael Johnson (19.32) were faster than Knighton on the half lap.
Knighton has become the new sensation of American sprinting in 2021, obtaining his qualification for the Tokyo Olympics at just 17 years old, a precocity most seen in the United States since 1964.
He is already faster in the 200m than American track and field legends like Carl Lewis (19.75) and Tommie Smith (19.83).
For comparison, Bolt's best time over 200m before he turned 20 was 19 sec 93/100e.
Knighton could win his first senior title at the Worlds-2022 which will take place from July 15 to 24 at home in Eugene (Oregon), provided he wins his qualification during the American selections (June 23-26) on the same track. Eugene.
For his part, the Botswanan Letsile Tebogo, 18, seized the 100m junior world record in Gaborone with a time of 9 sec 96/100e (wind: +1.9 m/s), improving 1/100th the previous record of the American Trayvon Bromell dating from 2014.
