![Erriyon Knighton holds an American flag behind him](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/lb-erriyon-OP.jpg?w=620)
Who is Erriyon Knighton?
THE fastest teen in the world shows no signs of slowing down.
The American sprinter started competing in track and field in 2019 when he was just a freshman in high school.
Who is Erriyon Knighton?
Erriyon Knighton was born in Tampa, Florida on January 29, 2004.
The teen started his athletic career by playing football during his time at Hillsborough High School.
After noticing Knighton's speed, his high school coach encouraged him to pursue track and field
Knighton's high school career peaked during the 2020 USA Track & Field Junior Olympics finals in Satellite Beach, Florida, where he ran the 200-meter dash in just 20.33 seconds.
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However, he chose to forgo his remaining two years of amateur competition after signing a sponsorship with Adidas at the age of 16.
The decision paid off, with Knighton setting a new world record for the under-18 best in the boys' 200-meter dash just months later.
Knighton was also the youngest male to be chosen for a USA Olympics track team in over 50 years, finishing fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021.
What are Erriyon Knighton's fastest 100m and 200m times?
Knighton's fastest 100m time is currently 10.04 seconds, recorded on April 16, 2022.
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Just weeks later on April 30, 2022, he achieved his fastest 200m time, clocking in at 19.49 seconds.
Only a few athletes are faster than Knighton in the 200m, including Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Michael Johnson.
Which medals has Erriyon Knighton won?
Knighton became the youngest individual sprint medalist in history when he won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
He also won a silver medal in the 200m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
What has Erriyon Knighton said about his future?
Knighton has already found success as the Under 20 200m world record holder, but the rising track sensation isn't stopping there.
He's setting his sights on potentially competing in the 100m and 400m races too.
Knighton recently told Olympics.com that he feels he can run both shorter and longer distances than the 200m race: "I feel like if I choose either one, I could be good at both...I don't know what I'm training for, I just know I'm training to be great."