“He’s Going to Be Dangerous”- Here’s Why 17-Year-Old “Next Usain Bolt” Is Catching Everyone’s Eye at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Erriyon Knighton surprised the world when he made his strategy to the lads’s 200m finals in Tokyo. The 17-year-old runner who had not even completed school but got here first in each his heats earlier than qualifying for the finals, leaving followers to consider he might truly medal at such a younger age. 

Nevertheless, Knighton completed fourth within the finals, simply shy of a medal and reduce brief what would have been a historic achievement. Regardless of this end result, many have drawn comparisons between the American and legendary Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt. 

Knighton actually has Bolt’s peak and is slowly beginning to run just like the eight-time Olympic gold medallist. To not overlook, as a young person, Bolt additionally took half within the Athens Olympics in 2004, failing to maneuver on from the heats and medal.

Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek predict huge issues for Erriyon Knighton

At 17, Knighton has damaged Bolt’s Underneath-20 data and is heading to glory a lot quicker than the Jamaican. With Paris solely 3 years away, we could see Knighton steal gold then. Even now, he has earned the respect of his teammates Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles, who gained the silver and bronze within the males’s 200m respectively. 

“He’s going to be harmful sooner or later,” Bednarek mentioned, talking to USA Today. “Seventeen years outdated, to have the ability to run this quick, he’s uncooked, he’s received a whole lot of expertise and a whole lot of issues to work on. And he’s undoubtedly going to be a monster sooner or later.’’ 

“I’m very pleased with him,’’ Noah Lyles mentioned. “I inform him that on a regular basis, and he’s popping out right here and he’s coming to win. … If he retains pushing, I consider he’s proper down the highway to do much more wonderful issues.’’  

Erriyon Knighton completed with a time of 19.93 seconds, behind Noah Lyles’ 19.74. The younger observe star, who had already exceeded expectations, deliberate to medal in Tokyo. He stored a straight face all through and confirmed no indicators of hysteria, and didn’t maintain again his emotions on not medalling.

“So we’re simply going to return again once more,’’ Knighton mentioned, with Paris 2024 on his thoughts. Identical to Usain Bolt got here to Beijing and gained the whole lot, Knighton is aware of what he has to do. Though, he doesn’t entertain the comparisons to the Jamaican. “I don’t know,’’ Knighton mentioned when requested if might get nearly as good as Bolt. “Solely time will inform.”

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