2025 USATF Outdoors: Christian Coleman Searches for the Right Gear Ahead of US Trials. by Deji Ogeyingbo
Christian Coleman once made sprinting look easy. Out of the blocks, he was untouchable. In 2019, the world watched him own the start and ride it to a global 100m title in Doha.
That moment still hangs in memory, sharp and clear.
But now, six years later, Coleman isn’t defending a title; he’s at a point where he’s defending his place in men’s sprinting. As the U.S. Trials approach, Coleman is facing a version of the sport that no longer bends to his rhythm.
He’s no longer the undisputed headliner in the 100 meters. Names like Trayvon Bromell, Kenny Bednarek, and Brandon Hicklin have advanced to the top of the 2025 performance list. Coleman is still in the mix, but the grip is looser.
And in American sprinting, even a small slip means someone else is already stepping in. His results this year haven’t been disastrous. He opened with a solid 10.06 in April at the Tom Jones Memorial. But it didn’t spark a run of wins. Since then, he’s hovered in the low 10.1s. It’s good, but not good enough to win. His latest result, a 10.06 at the Prefontaine Classic, left him seventh in a field that featured Kishane Thompson.
Before that, he ran 10.12 in Philadelphia, 10.11 in Tokyo, and 10.13 in Shaoxing. He hasn’t crossed the line first in any of those races. A few weeks ago, at the Grand Slam meet in Philadelphia, Coleman doubled back for the 200 meters. It didn’t go well. He finished sixth in 20.66, well behind athletes like Zharnel Hughes, Andre De Grasse, and Bryan Levell. That marked five straight individual losses.
For a sprinter who built his name on being uncatchable, that’s a tough stretch. Some of this shift can be attributed to a coaching change. After spending years under Tim Hall, the coach who guided him through college and into pro success, Coleman made a switch last year. Hall’s move to a head coaching role meant fewer personalized sessions.
After missing the team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Coleman wanted a reset. He found it in Florida, joining Dennis Mitchell’s Star Athletics group. On paper, it looked promising. Mitchell’s group is full of elite talent, and his training style is intense, focused on strength and competition. But Coleman hasn’t quite found his gear. Training in a group like Star Athletics means sharing focus. It means less one-on-one time and adapting to a system built for many, not for one.
At 29, Coleman is no longer the youngest on the line. His body has logged years of work. Changing coaches at this stage of a career is always a gamble. This time, the payoff hasn’t come, at least, not yet.
What hasn’t changed is Coleman’s trademark start. He still pops out of the blocks with authority. But now, that edge isn’t carrying him to the finish. He’s getting reeled in, which didn’t happen often during his peak.
When he won in Doha, his dominance in the first 30 meters was unmatched. These days, he’s being caught in the second half of races, and passed.
at The Armory Track
New York, NY
2023-02-11, by Kevin Morris
Meanwhile, American sprinting is surging. Bromell has run 9.84. Bednarek, known more for his 200, clocked 9.86. Hicklin, Walker, and even teen prospect and NCAA Champion, Jordan Anthony have all dipped under 10 seconds. Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, and Courtney Lindsey are hanging around the edges, capable of breaking through on any day. It’s a long list, and Coleman isn’t sitting at the top.
He hasn’t stopped being elite. His 9.93 from the Star Athletics meet in June, albeit wind-aided, shows the speed is still there. But being elite isn’t enough when the event is this deep. What Coleman needs now is timing, belief, and clarity.
The U.S. Trials don’t leave room for error. Only three go through.The good thing is Lyles has got a bye, so that’s one extra spot to battle for. Coleman doesn’t need to win, but he does need to beat most of the field, and that’s no easy task.
The next few days will say a lot. Is Coleman still searching, or has he figured something out behind the scenes? Is this the start of a rebound, or a sign that the top tier has moved on without him? He doesn’t need to be the man from 2019 again. But he does need to prove that he can still matter in 2025. The trials will tell us if that’s still true.
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