Christian Coleman, once the undeniable face of American sprinting’s next generation, is grappling with a season that has left both fans and fellow athletes questioning his future on the track.
The latest chapter came at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on July 5, where Christian Coleman clocked a season-best 10.06 seconds, yet finished a disappointing seventh in the 100-meter final.
The result sparked a candid, heartfelt reaction from fellow American sprinter Noah Williams, who aired his concerns on the Track World News podcast.
The race itself was stacked, with Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson stealing the spotlight with a world-leading 9.85 seconds. Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and the USA’s Trayvon Bromell rounded out the podium, while Coleman found himself edged out by lesser-heralded names like Brandon Hicklin, Ackeem Blake, and Bayanda Walaza, athletes Coleman would have comfortably outpaced in seasons past.
Williams: “It’s Really, Really Disappointing”
Among those unsettled by Coleman’s ongoing struggles was Noah Williams. Speaking openly, Williams didn’t mince words about the state of his compatriot’s sprinting fortunes.
“What’s going on with Christian, man?” Williams questioned. “I mean, it was a season best, but did he get second to last? I think it was what, the 10.06, maybe?”
It wasn’t just the time that concerned Williams, it was the glaring absence of the explosive start that once made Coleman a feared competitor.
“Ever since the day Christian popped on the scene…we identified Christian with having the greatest start that we’ve seen,” Williams added.
“He hasn’t done it once all year. He hasn’t gapped the field in that first eight meters like we’re used to.”
Williams hinted at deeper issues behind the scenes, pointing to Coleman’s coaching changes as a possible factor but admitting the problem might run deeper.
“Obviously, the changing of coaching is doing something,” he said.
“But more than anything…I can’t speak for you, but for myself, man, and all my friends at the time, like it was Christian Coleman, Christian Coleman, Christian Coleman.”
A Fall from the Spotlight
For a sprinter who once seemed destined to succeed Justin Gatlin as the American sprinting torchbearer, Christian Coleman’s fade has been gradual yet unmistakable. In 2025, he has yet to claim victory in an individual race.
At the Star Athletics Sprint Series in June, he was beaten twice by 18-year-old rising star Maurice Gleaton, despite posting a respectable 9.93 seconds in the final. Gleaton’s scorching 9.82, however, served as a painful reminder of the generational shift underway in U.S. sprinting.
Earlier in the year, Coleman placed fifth in Shanghai and fourth in Xiamen, failing to break the 10-second barrier at either event. His only first-place finish of the season came in a relay, a far cry from the days when his individual dominance seemed assured.
Despite the bleak results, Williams tempered his critique with hope.
“Just as a fan, man, it’s just really, really disappointing,” he admitted. “I pray for him and I hope he can get this together, get out of whatever funk or rut he’s in.”
But even that hope came laced with realism.
“I’m seeing no signs of this potentially turning around,” Williams confessed.
For now, the track world watches, some hopeful, others skeptical, to see whether Coleman can arrest his slide and reclaim a position among sprinting’s elite.