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“Equal to Bolt’s Desire To Be the Next..”- US Track Legend Picks the Young Sensation Who Will Surpass Usain Bolt’s Long Standing Records
Ever since Usain Bolt retired from athletics, fans have been enquiring about the next big thing. New athletes have come through the ranks to create memorable moments. Although Bolt’s charisma and personality cannot be matched, Erriyon Knighton is surely attracting fans for his sprinting ability. Predictions are coming in thick and fast for him to break Bolt’s record in the future.
With his stunning performances at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Bolt set the 100m and 200m world records. No one has come close to that. However, during the under-18 200-meters race, Knighton broke his junior 200-m world record. This has put everyone on notice as former iconic sprinter Michael Johnson thinks he is the one that will receive attention.
Michael Johnson’s take on Erriyon Knighton
Before Bolt started winning races, Michael Johnson was the benchmark for most athletes. He won four Olympic medals and eight World Championships medals, all gold, and dominated the event. For athletes to be successful, they had to match Johnson. Bolt came in and stole the show at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He targeted Johnson just like Knighton is targeting the Jamaican legend, according to Johnson. He mentioned:
I don’t know him but from what I’ve seen @ErriyonK desire to be the next @usainbolt is about equal to Bolt’s desire to be the next @MJGold The best want to make their own history and surpass the last. https://t.co/zi8lGElaCr
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) April 12, 2022
“I don’t know him but from what I’ve seen @ErriyonK desire to be the next @usainbolt is about equal to Bolt’s desire to be the next @MJGold The best want to make their own history and surpass the last.”
From 2008 to 2016, Bolt missed out on one gold medal at the 2011 World Championships after they disqualified him for a false start. Apart from that, he conquered every single Olympic Games and World Championships event. Hence, Johnson’s take on Knighton being the next kid on the block is something to look up to in athletics.
Can he become the next Usain Bolt?
Predictions are up there for Knighton to break most records set by Bolt. During the under-18 200-m race, he set a time of 20.11, beating Bolt’s record of 20.13. Knighton became a pro while he was a junior at Tampa Hillsborough High School when he was 17. The surrounding hype is unreal. As the 2022 Athletics World Championships will come to Oregon, fans are waiting to see the prodigy run during that meet.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 200m – Semifinal – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 3, 2021. Erriyon Knighton of the United States and Rasheed Dwyer of Jamaica in action during the Semifinal 1 REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Other than that, he appeared for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and finished fourth in the 200m, gaining valuable experience. Michael Johnson has high hopes for Erriyon Knighton. Do you?
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