Michael Norman gives further notice of his rise to greatness

The irresistible rise of Michael Norman continues. And at a 'OMG did you just see that?' kind of pace.

His latest astounding performance came in the 200 metres at an NCAA Outdoor Track and Field meeting in Tempe, Arizona.

Running for the University of Southern California's Trojans team, Norman ran a time of 20.06 seconds.

Yep, that's right: 20.06 seconds.

That time would have seen him slide in behind Usain Bolt and Andre De Grasse for third place at Rio 2016.

It also should be noted that Norman appeared to ease up a little before the line.

Unsurprisingly, it stands as a new personal best for Norman and further evidence of the kind of exulted company he is already keeping.

How good can he be?

Everyone who has worked with the 20-year-old affirms just what a special talent Norman is.

His coach is 1992 Olympic champion Quincy Watts, who recently spoke about how scarily good his prodigy can become.

So what is the key to Norman's success?

"Just straight raw speed," according to Watts, who believes his pupil will surpass them all, even the great Michael Johnson.

A breakthrough year

2018 is already shaping up to be some year for Norman.

Last month, he broke the world indoor 400m record at the US collegiate indoor championship in Texas.

What made it all the more remarkable was that it was only his third race in the event.

Step by step

The sprinter came close to securing a spot on the US Olympic team two years ago after finishing fifth in his country's trials for the 200m.

He admitted to some initial disappointment at having missed out, but quickly refocused on his education.

Norman is studying Communications at the University of Southern California, and has previously spoken about pursuing a career in sports broadcasting.

At the moment it appears a golden future on the track beckons, but Norman is not getting ahead of himself.

"I'll continue taking it step by step until the next US Olympic Trials come up" he told iaaf.org, prior to his recent achievements.

After such rapid progress, the athletics world is starting to sit up and take notice.

It's hard not to think of Tokyo 2020, and the prospect of him alongside the likes of De Grasse and Wayde Van Nierkerk.

But all that can wait for now. As is written on his twitter bio, patience is a virtue he espouses.

The Norman approach is to take it all in good time.