EUGENE, Oregon – Tampa’s Erriyon Knighton heads to the Tokyo Olympics after finishing third in the men’s 200m final at the U.S. Athletics Tests on Sunday night.
Knighton, 17, broke his U20 world record with 19.84 seconds, finishing behind winner Noah Lyles, the reigning world champion, and Kenny Bednarek. Knighton broke Usain Bolt’s U20 world record with 19.88 in the semifinals. He was the fastest qualifier to go to the final.
It was a brilliant 200 meters for the whole group and a close finish, but Erriyon Knighton did it – he finished third and joined the Olympic team at the age of 17. 19.84 is one of the fastest times ever run at this age. Congratulations Erriyon. How to represent Tampa! 
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– Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) June 28, 2021
“I just stayed focused,” Knighton told NBC in a post-race interview about his performance in the finals.
Knighton, who turned 17 in January and turned pro as a junior at Hillsborough High, will become the youngest American man to compete in athletics in the Olympics since Jim Ryun in 1964, according to olympedia.org.
Lyles won 19.74, the best time in the world that year. Bednarek crossed the finish line 19.78.
Lyles celebrated his victory by kneeling on the track and folding his hands.
“I just stopped stressing and let my body do what it did,” he said. His victory and world best time followed a few lackluster runs through the 100 and 200 laps. He was defeated by Knighton in the 200 heats and in the semifinals.
The Olympic Games begin on July 23.
The post Tampa's Erriyon Knighton makes Olympic team 200 meters first appeared on Daily Florida Press.
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/tampas-erriyon-knighton-makes-olympic-team-200-meters/
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