Florida teenager Erriyon Knighton has broken Usain Bolt’s 200m record for athletes under the age of 18.
The 17-year-old made history while competing at the Duval County Challenge Track League in Jacksonville, Florida, winning the 200m with a time of 20.11 seconds.
Usain Bolt, who won three Olympic gold medals in the 200m, previously held the record for under-18s. However, Knighton beat Bolt’s record by 0.02 seconds.
Knighton said after he beat Bolt’s record: “I feel like I brought my A game today.”
Usain Bolt still holds the record for the fastest 200m time by a 17-year-old, having recorded a time of 19.93 back in April 2004. However, due to the fact that Bolt turned 18 during that calendar year, US Track and Field rules mean that time does not count towards the record Knighton has now broken.
Knighton is set to compete in the US Olympic trials later this month and he could be selected for their track and field team for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
If he does make the team, Knighton would become the youngest male athlete to do so since the 1964 Olympics, which were also held in Tokyo.
