Erriyon KNIGHTON

The transition to the life of a professional athlete seemed effortless for Knighton, who continued attending high school while training and competing. At the 2020 USATF Olympic Trials, he finished third in the 200m, securing a spot as the youngest member of Team USA's Olympic track and field squad. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, he became the youngest men's track finalist in the modern Olympic Games, finishing fourth.

Erriyon Knighton: Graduating into the senior ranks

In June 2022, a month after high school graduation, Knighton placed second in the 200m at the U.S. championships. Then, during the World Championships in Eugene, the Louisiana native won bronze, placing third in the final in 19.80s, behind his compatriots Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek for an American sweep. He became the youngest individual sprinter to earn a World Championship medal.

He continued his success in 2023, winning silver at the World Championships in Budapest, finishing second in the 200m final in 19.75s. The American sensation concluded his season with two more sub-20-second runs, bringing his 2023 tally of them to eight and solidifying his position as the fastest teenager in the world.

With aspirations to break the elusive sub-19 barrier, the American is undoubtedly a rising track star, with Paris being the best stage to emulate Bolt.

"Anybody's going to want to beat the record of the all-time great, but at the same time, I still have to knock each down one by one," he told Olympics.com. "It's not going to be an easy task; it's going to be hard. I definitely think I can do it, but it's just I have got to work hard and to really have a lot of self-confidence."