There was a time when the mere sight of Christian Coleman on a track felt like a prelude to something electric. Fireworks weren’t just expected, they were guaranteed.
Track fans remember the 2018 US Indoor Championships, when Coleman scorched through the 60m in 6.34 seconds. Not a national record. Not a meet record. A world record. It was the kind of performance that earned him the crown as the King of the 60m Dash, and for a while, it looked like he was built to rule.
A year later, he turned the 2019 World Championships into his personal highlight reel, blazing to a 9.76 in the 100m final and cementing his spot among the sport’s elite. And who could forget 2017, when a young, fearless Coleman handed the great Usain Bolt a rare defeat in his final professional race? It felt like the torch had officially passed.
But since then, the spark has flickered.
The Struggle for Rhythm in 2025
Fast forward to the 2025 season, and things haven’t exactly gone to script for the former world champion. When Coleman lined up at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, many thought it could be the comeback moment. The click. The beginning of something again.
Instead, it was Japan’s Hiroki Yanagita who stole the show with a 10.06 win, followed by Christian Miller at 10.08. Coleman finished third with a 10.11. Not terrible, but not the stuff of legends.
And it wasn’t a one-off. The Tokyo result is part of a growing pattern that’s becoming harder to overlook. At the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida, he clocked 10.06 to finish third. In Xiamen’s Diamond League stop, 10.18 was only good enough for fourth. Then came Shanghai where 10.13 saw him cross the line in fifth.
For an athlete who once flirted with sub-9.80 territory, these numbers aren’t just below par, they’re concerning. It’s not just the times; it’s the missing explosiveness, the lost rhythm, the sharpness that used to separate him from the pack.
Still Time for a Turnaround
That said, the season isn’t over. And Coleman, at 29, isn’t quite ready to be written off.
Back on April 2, he posted to Instagram.
“Let’s get this party started🕺🏾”, signaling his readiness to flip the script on a slow start to 2025. The energy was there. The optimism was real. His schedule Stacked.
While the party hasn’t quite gotten off the ground, there’s still room on the calendar for fireworks.
What’s Next for Coleman?
According to Coleman’s early season plans, the Prefontaine Classic on July 5 in Eugene, Oregon, is his next confirmed stop. After that comes the USATF Outdoor Championships, also in Eugene, from July 31 to August 3. The June calendar remains open, with more dates to be added, according to his earlier announcement.
It’s clear that Coleman hasn’t given up on 2025. The question is whether these recent races are just growing pains on the road to something bigger, a slow build toward redemption, or signs of a chapter quietly closing.
For now, the track world waits. And as long as Christian Coleman lines up in a starting block, there’s always a chance the old magic comes roaring back.
