When Christian Coleman dipped under the 10-second mark with a 9.93 in Florida this June, it felt like a quiet reminder of the power he still possesses in the 100m. It was his season’s best, a performance sharp enough to raise eyebrows but not quite enough to confirm a full return to dominance. Since then, however, the numbers have told a less convincing story, a trail of races stuck in the lows, with no repeat sub-10 showing to bolster the Florida flash. Still, the guy’s got that fire, right? Can he carry that spark into the nationals?
Well, And now, just ahead of the USATF Outdoor Championships, Coleman is throwing a curveball: he’s entered both the 100m and 200m at the USATF Championships. For a guy known as a 100m specialist, this double attempt feels like uncharted territory. Because that is a move he’s rarely, if ever, made in his pro career. So naturally, fans and insiders alike are asking: what’s really going on here?
Track and field coach Rob tried to make sense of things. On his YouTube channel, he mulled over the unusual decision, sounding as puzzled as anyone. “No more capable than he was in the 100,” Rob noted, “but now I’m scrolling, and I’m trying to find his name because… I can’t find it.” The coach’s uncertainty echoed a broader confusion in the track world, why double now?
Rob didn’t hold back on speculation either. “If Christian Coleman is running the 200 at the USATF, that means something went wrong in 100m. Am I wrong?” he asked. “If he was on the starting line, he would not be on it anymore. He’d pull his name out and say, I don’t need to do this anymore.”
Credits: Imago
So is this a backup plan? A confidence rebuild? Or maybe a late-stage career twist we didn’t see coming? It’s especially jarring because this isn’t the Christian Coleman we’ve come to expect, the guy who exploded to a world title in 2019 or even the one who won the Prefontaine Classic just last year, right before the Olympic Trials. “He ain’t never looked like this his entire career,” Reider pointed out, summarizing what many have quietly observed.
With all eyes now on his double attempt, the bigger question looms: is Coleman trying to rewrite his own script, or is this a signal that the 100m crown might be slipping from his grip?
Christian Coleman’s 2025 season was like sprinting through challenges
Well, Christian Coleman’s season has been a rollercoaster. He kicked things off at the Tom Jones Memorial in April, clocking 10.06 seconds in the 100m for third place, not the dominant start we expected from the 2019 world champ. A week later at the Xiamen Diamond League, he faded to fourth with 10.18 seconds, trailing Akani Simbine’s 9.99. Then, in June, Coleman hit a season-best 9.93 seconds in Florida, reigniting hopes of a comeback. But consistency? That’s been tough. Can he pull it together for the USATF Championships?
Next, at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, Coleman ran 10.11 seconds for third, edged out by Christian Miller’s 10.08. The Grand Slam Meet in Philadelphia was rougher, fourth in the 100m at 10.12 seconds and sixth in the 200m with 20.66. July’s Prefontaine Classic stung, too, with Coleman finishing last in the 100m at 10.06, as Kishane Thompson blazed 9.85. What’s holding him back?
As the USATF Championships kick off in Eugene, Coleman’s season shows flashes of brilliance but no wins. With the World Championships looming, will Coleman find his groove and silence the doubters?
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