Step out to witness a 200m dash, and you’ll witness a field full of elite sprinters! To an extent that even American fans can be spoilt for choice. There’s Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Erriyon Knighton— to name a few. But, the list can just go on. Interestingly, they not only just alternate positions in most competitions but their timings come hair-splittingly close.

A recent example was the 200m finale at Stade de France. With a full house of spectators witnessing the nail-biting showdown, it came down to the wire and was decided by a photo finish. The three Americans lined up in second, third, and fourth—with the difference between their times coming down to a few hundredths of a second. Bednarek’s 19.62 was 0.08 seconds quicker than Lyles, while their compatriot Knighton missed out on a medal chance with 19.99 seconds. However, a veteran has recently predicted that the tables might turn in the future.

Is Erriyon Knighton being pitched as the next Noah Lyles?

As Justin Gaitlin appeared on the Ready Set Go podcast, he gave his two cents on a question dropped in the host’s mailbag by a fan, “How would you guys summarize Knighton’s season?” To this, the 4x World Champion sprinter replied, “I’ve always said. Erriyon is the future of especially USA 200m sprinting. He’s going to take that flagship.” Noting that the 200m is presently a very competitive event, with some of the household names competing in it, Gaitlin appreciated how Knighton ran stellar sub-20 times recently, despite not getting a chance to run early in the season.

Moreover, Knighton being at the initial leg of his career excites the 1x Olympic champion. Imagine, what all he may have in store for him going ahead? “He’s so young. He has so many years in front of him, to finding, honing on himself to develop his body— bigger shoulder caps, traps, and really kind of motor that sprinting home to get even better elite time,” Gaitlin opined that a good brush up should do the job.

Knighton’s start to the 2024 season threatened to derail his entire career. Testing positive for Trenbolone in March, the sprinter claimed that he ate oxtail from a bakery. And it’s because of the contaminated meat that the traces were found. Eventually, the United States Anti-Doping Agency gave him a clean chit. Followed by the Court of Arbitration of Sports giving him a nod for Paris. But amidst this, Gaitlin hails how Knighton rose back from the blow. He said, “You know Erryon had a great season this year, especially with everything that’s happened, and I think we’re gonna see even more for him next season.”  

Even though the matter seems to have sprung back up, with the Athletics Integrity Unit challenging the call, Knighton is high up on everybody’s hopes as the face of American track in the future.

Knighton’s the new 200m favorite pick for veterans

The current world rank #3, Knighton has attributes that have slated him very high on the lists of veterans. With a bronze at the Zurich Diamond League, a miss in Silesia, and a silver in Lausanne, it can’t be said that Knighton has been the most consistent of all. But, it’s happened only thrice after he resumed the season in June that he crossed the 20-second barrier in a 200m race.

His speed, his willpower, or his overall track record—there’s something that has made him a legend favorite. As another legend, Michael Johnson, the 4x Olympic gold medalist recently said, “If you had told me in early 2021 that after two Olympics Noah Lyles would not have an Olympic 200 gold and Erryon Knighton would not have an Olympic medal, you would’ve taken all my money!” A 2022 World bronze and a 2023 World silver in his shelf, Knightson sure has the potential to romp in more titles, per popular opinion.

Remember back in 2023, even Usain Bolt threw his support behind Knighton. The legend from Jamaica praised Knighton, who competed at his first Olympics in Tokyo at 17, with, “I think that Erriyon Knighton, if he has the right coach, will be terrific over 200m. He will be a great one.” Do you think Knighton can polish himself to surpass Noah Lyles in the 200m? Share your thoughts below!