When 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton crossed the finish line in the 200m at the Duval County Challenge in the American Track League on Monday night (May 31), he erased a record that has been held by Usain Bolt for the past 18 years.

On July 20, 2003, a young Jamaican called Usain Bolt won the 200m at the 12 Pan American Junior Championships that we held in Bridgetown, Barbados. Bolt, who is now considered the greatest sprinter of all time, clocked 20.13 to claim the gold medal defeating a promising young USA sprinter, David Neville, who ran 20.63 for the silver medal.

Jorge Sena of Brazil was third in 20.70.

Bolt’s winning time was a World Junior Record that had stood until now.

Knighton raced to an astonishing 20.11 to defeat the more experienced Trayvon Bromell, an early favourite for Olympic 100m gold this summer, who was comprehensively beaten having run 20.20. The 2018 European 100m champion Zharnel Hughes ran 20.30 for third.

“I’ve definitely got to respect them, top of the world but I feel like I brought my A game today,” Knighton said afterwards.

Knighton signed a professional contract with Adidas after he ran 10.29 in the 100 and 20.33 in the 200m at the AAU Junior Olympic Games at Satellite High School in Florida in August 2020. He was just 16 years old.

As a result, he has foregone his final two years of high school track and his entire college eligibility.

So far, it seems to have been the correct decision as the now 17-year-old has run faster every time he has competed. On May 23, he ran 10.16 in the 100m in Boston. He also ran wind-aided times of 9.99 and 10.07 at the National Training Centre in Clermont, Florida on May 2.

Before his record-breaking 20.11 on Monday, Knighton had run times of 20.31, 20.39 and 20.30 over 200m.