Among the biggest milestones for a track and field athlete, especially those who run the 100m dash, is to run it in under 10 seconds. While many have tried, only the most elite sprinters have posted sub-10-second runs. However, the 19-year-old track and field sensation Erriyon Knighton has defied expectations. The athlete who broke Usain Bolt‘s junior record in 2017 got a blistering start to his season at the Florida Relays.

The sprinter set the under-20, 200m world record in April 2022. Now a year later, Erriyon Knighton has established himself in the league of Olympic elites like Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin, and others by running a sub-10-second 100m dash. However, he had some help.

An achievement of a lifetime but there’s a catch

The 2022 World Athletics Championship bronze medalist has proven himself time after time in the 200m race. In April 2022, the American sprinting sensation became the fourth fastest sprinter in history after clocking in a blistering 200m time of 19.49 at the LSU Invitational.

This year, the track and field athlete decided to focus on outdoor events, and it’s already paying off. On Saturday, April 1, 2023, Knighton participated in the 100m race at the 2023 Florida Relays Invitational at Gainsville. The 19-year-old clocked a sub-10-second time of 9.98 sec, defeating Jamaica’s Jelani Walker (10.01s) and American sprinter Joseph Fahnbulleh (10.04s).

Walker and Fahnbulleh took second and third place respectively. However, the track and field prodigy posted the 9.98 sec run with the help of a 2.1 m/s tailwind. Despite the wind assistance breaking the 10-second barrier is another feather in the cap for the 19-year-old. Now, Knighton has set his sights on another Usain Bolt record.

Erriyon Knighton is aiming to break another Usain Bolt record

After setting a new personal best in the 100m dash, Erriyon Knighton wants to break Usain Bolt’s 200m world record. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist set the 200m world record at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, posting a time of 19.19 sec. The record has stood for over a decade.

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In an interview with Olympics.com Knighton said, “Anybody’s going to want to beat the record of the all-time great,” However, the track and field star wants to take things one step at a time. “It’s not going to be an easy task, it’s going to be hard. I definitely think I can do it,” added the American.

Watch this story | 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton Broke Usain Bolts World Record

While the wind-assisted 9.98 sec 100m dash is a new personal best for the 19-year-old, only time will tell if he can beat the 200m record of the World’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.