American sprint icon Michael Johnson opened up about his prediction about Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton, saying that he would have lost all of it if he had put money into it.
Sharing a tweet on his X handle, the four-time Olympic champion disclosed that he was sure about Lyles winning an Olympic 200m gold medal either at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games or the Paris Olympic Games. He believed that youngster Knighton would also have an Olympic medal in the 200m.
“If you had told me in early 2021 that after two Olympics Noah Lyles would not have an Olympic 200 gold and Erryon Knighton would not have an Olympic medal, you would’ve taken all my money!” Johnson said.
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Three-time world 200m champion Lyles only managed a bronze at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and proceeded to win another bronze at the Paris Olympics after he tested positive for COVID-19.
At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Knighton finished fourth, missing out on the podium place narrowly and he maintained the same place in Paris. Letsile Tebogo carried the day at the Paris Olympics with Kenny Bednarek coming in an impressive second.
Lyles was primed to win the 200m title since the distance has always been considered his favourite and he has achieved a lot of honours as compared to the 100m.
In the 200m, Lyles has been successive at the World Championships, winning the title at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar before defending his title at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the event.
On his part, Knighton was impressive in the 200m at the 2022 World Championships, competing on home soil where he claimed a bronze medal. In 2023, competing at the Hungarian capital, he was in a class of his own as he improved the bronze to a silver medal.
