Erriyon Knighton has a unique approach to racing
Erriyon Knighton speaks at the 2022 Prefontaine Classic press conference. Photo by Mikeisha Kelly
By Joe Zochert
Making his Wanda Diamond League debut at The Prefontaine Classic, American teen phenom Erriyon Knighton placed sixth in the men’s 100 meters with a time of 10.14. It was a loaded field that featured fellow Americans Trayvon Bromell, who won in 9.93, and Fred Kerley, who finished second with a mark of 9.98.
Even though he finished fourth over 200m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Knighton still has not changed his approach to racing.
“I still got the same approach and the same mentality,” Knighton said. “I took every race seriously [last year]. You got to take every race and run it like it is your last one.”
This unwavering mentality has paid dividends as the 18-year-old put together an all-time performance at the LSU Invitational in April, running a personal best 19.49 in the 200m. Only Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Michael Johnson have run faster all time.
With these impressive performances and physical gifts, Knighton has drawn comparisons to Usain Bolt from fans and media ever since breaking Bolt’s 200m U20 record in 2021.
However, these comparisons are brushed off by Knighton as he won’t let them get to his head.
“You really don’t want to think about it too much,” he said about the Bolt comparisons. “I feel like when people think about it too much, they get a big head over themself.”
To help avoid letting the comparisons weigh him down, Knighton views himself as a villain going into every race. Just look at the background photo on his Twitter account.
Heath Ledger’s Joker is featured on Knighton’s Twitter profile. Ledger portrayed the iconic DC Comics character in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight.
This is a very intriguing twist on Knighton’s perception. He is a reserved and soft-spoken 18-year-old, who has done nothing to earn the label of villain.
Yet, he embraces this identity.
“I just feel like I’m the villain every race, so that’s the reason I picked it,” said Knighton about his Twitter background photo.
“Nobody don’t understand the villain until they really get to know them. Once you get to know them, they aren’t really that bad.”
With this antagonist mindset, his nickname, “Knightmare,” which his coach Jonathan Terry coined for him, also feels fitting.
Looking ahead on Knighton's young athletic career, the Florida native understands he has time to grow, even after his first taste of the world stage last summer.
As he continues to drown out the noise and focus on the big picture of his career, it seems like a matter of time before this self-appointed villain engulfs all of his competitor’s dreams of winning with “Knightmares” of trying to catch up to him.