Track star Erriyon Knighton could become a household name in a handful of years, and perhaps a popular betting pick if his times keep improving as he gets older. Could he put U.S.A track and field front and center in the domestic sports landscape even in non-Olympic years?
He’s on pace to do just that. He could eventually be considered the best athlete in the country.
The 17-year-old from Tampa, Fla., one of the youngest U.S. track Olympians in history, finished an astounding fourth in the Tokyo Olympics 200-meter final on Aug. 4. His time of 19.93 was well faster than Jamaican track legend Usain Bolt ever ran at that age, but it actually wasn’t Knighton’s personal best. He ran a 19.84 this past June to qualify for Japan, lowering the all-time mark for not only Under-18 but also Under-20. He still has plenty of time to further lower his U20 world record.
ICYMI, Erriyon Knighton ran 19.84 at the US Olympic Trials and qualified for Tokyo at just 17.
To give context, Usain Bolt didn't run 19.84 (or faster) until he was 20 years and 10 months. Knighton turns 20 years and 10 months after the 2024 Olympics. pic.twitter.com/SCR10xb9dH
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 30, 2021
The mind-boggling 19.84 also got the attention of NFL Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy.
It was a blazing 200 meters by the entire group and a tight finish but Erriyon Knighton did it—he finished 3rd to make the Olympic team as a 17 year old. 19.84 is one of the fastest times ever run at that age. Congratulations Erriyon. Way to represent Tampa!🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/9hvgiiSOHO
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) June 28, 2021
Bolt ran a record U18 time of 20.13 in 2003 and a record U20 time of 19.93 in 2004. As those times indicate, Bolt was no ordinary youngster. He was one of the most touted track prodigies in history, and he more than lived up to the hype by setting world records later in his career. Bolt eventually ran a 19.19 in the 200-meter race in 2009, peaking in terms of his times at a relatively young age.
If Knighton progresses like Bolt, he’ll be the fastest man ever to live. So far, it looks like Knighton has been ahead of Bolt basically every step of the way as a teenage sensation.
Usain Bolt & Erriyon Knighton's progressions
Usain Bolt ➡️ Erriyon Knighton
Age 15 21.73s 21.15s
Age 16 20.58s 20.33s
Age 17 20.13s 19.84(WJR)
Age 18 19.93s ?? pic.twitter.com/99DW8Zpwt8— Niall Moran (@niallmoran_) June 28, 2021
Someone as good as Knighton unexpected
Bolt’s records have for the past decade been thought of as virtually untouchable. U.S. track legend Michael Johnson, who before Bolt came around held the world record with a blistering 19.32 in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, said after witnessing Bolt’s 19.19 in-person that “the person who is going to beat his record hasn’t been born yet.” Knighton has a realistic chance of proving Johnson wrong in this old prediction. Some people also thought Bolt’s world junior record was going to last much longer.
Track and field obviously isn’t that big in terms of a spectator sport in the U.S., but it’s a monster spectacle in Europe. Knighton could end up being beloved over there before true stardom arrives for him domestically, but if he’s knocking on the door and even beating Usain Bolt’s 19.19, that attention should come. It’s unclear if Knighton will also compete at the highest level in the 100 meters, for which Bolt also has a world record with a mark of 9.58 seconds. Knighton could also potentially be a deadly 400-meter runner.
Knighton ran a 10.16 in the 100 back in May, good for second all-time in U18. He was just 0.01 off from the top spot. He’s unofficially the record holder here as well, considering that he ran into a 0.3 meters per second headwind, with the record-setting mark of 10.15 coming in a race with the maximum allowed 2.0 meters per second tailwind. Bolt wasn’t running world-class times in the 100 at Knighton’s age. While Knighton is incredibly fast in the 100 for his age, his best event at this stage is the 200.
Thanks to his historic times, Knighton took a pro deal with Adidas in January at just 16. It looks like he’s all in on track, as he punted on a potential football career. Knighton received offers from the likes of Alabama to play college football. Unfortunately for those schools, he’s just too fast to play that game. Bolt was in a similar situation with cricket at a point in time during his younger years.
Sportsbooks in the U.S. are regulated at the state level, with each state having its own approval of sports and events for legal wagering. Track and field is a widely approved mainstream sport, and Knighton could just be heating up. He turns 18 in January.
‘Everyone tuned in’ for Bolt
Bolt was a remarkable athlete. He not only crushed previously held world records, he also won the 100-meter and 200-meter gold medals in three straight Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016). Knighton may never be that dominant at the highest level in global competition, even if he’s ultimately faster.
Johnny Avello, the sportsbook director at DraftKings who previously spent years running sportsbooks in Las Vegas, said that during the prime of Bolt’s career “everyone tuned in” to see him race. Bolt at the time was charismatic and had some friendly rivalries with U.S. sprinters, notably Tyson Gay. Gay broke the American record with a 9.71 in the same race Bolt ran the world record of 9.58 in the 100 meters.
While Knighton’s sport is still a pipsqueak compared to the likes of the NFL, Avello said that in the sports betting business operators are always “looking for content.” Knighton becoming the clear-cut best sprinter in the world, possibly of all time, is exactly the kind of second-tier content that books are looking for. Books would also very much welcome a “rejuvenated” U.S.A sprinting squad, though that resurgence wouldn’t fall only on Knighton’s shoulders. Americans Kenny Bednarek (silver) and Noah Lyles (bronze) finished ahead of Knighton in the Tokyo 200-meter final with strong times, respectively.
Avello said that DraftKings could be interested in futures bets for track and field world records, possibly even on Knighton down the road. Perhaps bettors will one day have some skin in the game on legitimate world record attempts by Knighton, which may or may not come in the Olympics.
Photo: James Lang/USA Today
