Noah Lyles, Michael Johnson, and Erriyon Knighton – When and Where Did the American Athletes Achieve the 200M Records?

The 2024 season will feature the Paris Olympics in July. The track meets leading up to the major event have already provided the viewers with the necessary anticipation. There are many athletes and races to watch out for, but all eyes will be set on the 200-meter due to world record speculations. Sprint talents such as Noah Lyles have expressed their desire to compete to the maximum this year, prompting many fans to make their predictions.

Looking at the World Athletics statistics for the 200-meter category, Usain Bolt’s 19.19 mark has remained prominent since the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Many competitors will be vying for it, particularly those representing Team USA.

Fans have witnessed numerous potential athletes who can break the long-standing world record, but here are the top three American track stars who have established the fastest time in the 200-meter category –

Noah Lyles (19.31)

Noah Lyles was born into an athletic household and first pursued gymnastics. However, he shifted his focus to track and field, and the rest was history. Six years after securing a lucrative contract with Adidas, the track star recorded an astounding 19.31 at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.

This time, he was able to set a personal best and take the world lead for the same season. Lyles also piqued the attention of Usain Bolt, who admired the young athlete’s tenacity to compete for multiple accolades.

However, the American athlete has also informed his followers that he would go for the requisite mark to shatter the long-standing world record of 19.19 seconds, and the track community is looking forward to it as they approach the Paris Olympics.

Michael Johnson (19.32)

Going into the 1996 season, Michael Johnson generated a lot of noise in the track scene. The year also saw the Olympics in Atlanta, and for the American audience, he emerged as a favorite in the 200-meter and 400-meter races.

The track sensation dominated the competitions, winning gold medals in each, making him the only athlete to excel at the Olympics by winning two categories in the same event. However, Johnson managed to secure the 200-meter world record with the time of 19.32 seconds, which stood for the next 13 years until Usain Bolt overtook it in 2009.

Erriyon Knighton (19.49)

The USATF has several promising track athletes lined up for future Olympic competitions. However, in 2022, during the LSU Invitational, many young athletes lined up to entertain the Baton Rouge crowd.

While there were many noteworthy performances by track prodigies, Erriyon Knighton accomplished something that many track superstars have worked their entire careers to achieve. There were many skilled sprinters in the 200-meter sprint, but Knighton paced up and claimed the lead heading into the last stretch of the race, winning gold in an excellent time of 19.49 seconds.

He soared to the top of the U20 rankings despite the fact that he was only 18 years old at the time. Many seasoned competitors have yet to hit the mark, but Knighton has his sights set on the Olympics this year, where he hopes to surpass his own personal best while also attempting to break the world record.

Noah Lyles’ promise to the track community this Olympic season

While many sportsmen remain under the fans’ radar this season, Noah Lyles has set a different standard. He began his 2024 campaign indoors and proved to be a fierce opponent. Despite receiving criticism for his 4×400-meter performance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, Lyles felt confident in his outdoor season debut.

He handled the criticism wisely, even expressing an ambition to beat Usain Bolt’s 200-meter world record with a 19.10-second run. He also proved the naysayers wrong the moment he set foot on the track at the Tom Jones Memorial. Lyles and Kenny Bednarek tied for first with a time of 10.01 seconds. He improved his 100-meter time to an impressive 9.96 seconds at the Bermuda Grand Prix.

The six-time world champion will compete in the Atlanta City Games’ 200-meter sprint, and because it will be his season debut in that category, many fans will be looking forward to it.