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On the Olympic observe, 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton is a sensation. He broke Usain Bolt’s under-18 document within the 200 meters in Might and surpassed Bolt’s under-20 document in June, and he beat reigning world champion Noah Lyles, 24, in two races on the Olympic trials.
However at Hillsborough Excessive College in Tampa, Fla., the place we’re each rising seniors, he’s simply one other scholar, simply Erriyon. He walks by way of the halls, tall and slim and boyish. He attire in Adidas gear as a result of the corporate sponsors him, however he usually doesn’t deliver a number of consideration to himself.
Erriyon’s associates say he’s humorous and likes to fiddle. They nonetheless snicker concerning the time he nearly burned down the home making an attempt to make funnel cake out of pancake batter.
“He’s a quiet, regular, common highschool child,” his buddy Nigel Richardson mentioned. “And he cares about individuals. He would by no means wish to see no person down.”
Erriyon, who will run within the 200 meters Tuesday (Monday evening within the U.S.), is the US’ youngest male observe athlete within the Olympics since 1964. He started working observe simply three years in the past, when Hillsborough’s soccer coach requested him to affix the highschool group.
Jordaan Bailey, a soccer teammate, mentioned he knew Erriyon had observe potential.
“In his first catch of the sport, he scored,” Bailey mentioned. “I don’t assume he acquired touched.”
In August 2020, Erriyon ran the 200 on the Junior Olympics in 20.33 seconds. His observe profession took off. He began giving interviews to the media and struck what he mentioned is a six-figure sponsorship take care of Adidas, a part of which fits to assist his mom, Shamika Knighton, pay the payments. He gave up his highschool and faculty athletics eligibility to signal the deal however needs to attend faculty ultimately, with ideas of finding out medication.
In FaceTime conversations throughout the Olympic trials, Erriyon was assured about how properly he was going to do, Bailey instructed me, despite the fact that he was racing a number of the quickest males on the earth. That made sense to Bailey.
“He’s at all times been calm,” Bailey mentioned. “He by no means folds underneath stress.”
I acquired the identical impression once I interviewed Erriyon for our high school paper earlier this yr as his performances saved enhancing and his Olympic hopes began to turn into actual.
“I’m simply being,” Erriyon instructed me. “Chilling, like I’m a standard individual.”
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