Three-time world champion Christian Coleman, and one of the few men to ever defeat Usain Bolt head-to-head has shockingly failed to win a single one of his four 100m races this season, 2025.
Christian Coleman, who owns a lightning-fast personal best of 9.76 seconds, even quicker than reigning Olympic champion Noah Lyles’ 9.79, is struggling to crack the 10-second barrier. His season best, a modest 10.06. For a sprinter of his pedigree, it’s a puzzling turn of events.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Coleman’s 2025 campaign opened on April 19 at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Florida. The expectation was clear, dominance. Instead, he finished third in 10.06 seconds, trailing behind rising stars Courtney Lindsey (9.97) and Christian Miller (10.02). The pattern continued in Xiamen on April 26, where he clocked 10.18 to finish fourth behind South Africa’s Akani Simbine (9.99).
On May 3 at the Shanghai Diamond meet, the sprint field was scorching hot. Simbine dropped a 9.98, and Coleman settled for fifth with a 10.13. By May 18 at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, fans hoped for a breakthrough. Instead, Coleman posted 10.11, coming in third behind Japan’s Hiroki Yanagita (10.06) and Christian Miller (10.08).
Through four meets, Coleman’s performances have hovered in the low 10.0-second range, good by ordinary standards, but a cause for concern when your name is Christian Coleman.
Noah Williams Breaks It Down
But not everyone is hitting the panic button just yet.
Noah Williams, an NCAA champion and 400m specialist, shared his perspective on the Track World News podcast. When host Colin Waitzman raised the issue of Coleman’s struggles, Williams offered a nuanced, optimistic take.
“Christian has run four 100s this season: 10.06, 10.18, 10.13, and 10.11. He hasn’t run sub-10 yet this year,” Waitzman pointed out.
Williams acknowledged the slump, but emphasized it’s not just about the times, it’s about the fact that Coleman is losing, which is unfamiliar territory for the sprint star.
Yet, Williams believes there’s a bigger picture at play.
“When you’re consistently running times within a tenth of a second, you’re preparing your body for a big drop,” Williams explained, drawing wisdom from his high school coach.
He’s predicting just that.
“If I had to predict, in the next four to six weeks, I see Christian dropping a time around 9.86 or 9.88.”
The Context Behind Coleman’s Struggles
A major factor behind Coleman’s uneven form is his transition to a new coaching setup. After years under the guidance of his college coach Tim Hall, Coleman is now training with Dennis Mitchell, the same coach behind Sha’Carri Richardson’s resurgence.
“It’s a new program for him, it’s new training,” Williams added.
“I’m granting him more grace than a lot of other people.”
Adjusting to a new system can often disrupt an athlete’s rhythm, especially in a precision-demanding event like the 100m dash. With the Paris Olympics still fresh in everyone’s minds and the World Championships looming, Coleman has time, but not much, to find his stride.
Is a Comeback Coming?
While some fans are starting to write him off, there’s a sense among insiders like Williams that Coleman is simply building towards a breakout performance. History suggests elite sprinters often endure slumps, especially during transitional periods in their careers.
With Sha’Carri Richardson in his corner and Dennis Mitchell refining his technique, there’s cautious optimism that Christian Coleman isn’t done just yet. The question isn’t whether he can run fast, it’s when.
As Williams put it: “I see him dropping a big time soon.”
So while 2025 has been rough on paper, Christian Coleman’s season might just be one great race away from flipping the narrative.
