As the 2025 Tokyo Championships near, Christian Coleman emerges as a top sprinter, potentially rivaling Usain Bolt’s legacy.
The 29-year-old American has already made a name for himself in both individual and team events. His 9.76-second sprint in the 100 meters at the 2019 World Championships in Doha places him sixth on the all-time fastest list.
In Budapest last year, during the 2023 World Championships, Coleman placed fifth in the 100m final with a solid 9.92 seconds, just behind fellow American Noah Lyles’ 9.83. There, alongside his teammates, he blazed to a gold medal finish in 37.38 seconds, solidifying the U.S. team’s dominance and further enhancing his credentials as a top-tier relay runner.
Now, with Tokyo 2025 on the horizon, Christian Coleman stands on the brink of history. The men’s 4x100m relay final, the last race of the championship, presents a golden opportunity. If Team USA manages another podium finish and Coleman features in the lineup, he will collect his fifth career World Championship medal in the event. That milestone would tie him with none other than Usain Bolt, who currently holds the record for the most 4x100m relay medals at Worlds with five.
Coleman already owns four World Championship medals in the 4x100m, just one shy of Bolt’s record haul. His consistency, timing, and unparalleled acceleration out of the blocks make him a pivotal figure in Team USA’s relay setup. Coleman also owns the world record in the 60m sprint, clocking an astonishing 6.34 seconds in 2018, and winning the world indoor title the same year with a 6.37-second finish.
Coleman is not the only sprinter with four 4x100m relay medals to his name. Jamaican sprint veteran Nesta Carter and British great Marlon Devonish also share the tally. Carter, a former member of Jamaica’s famed golden relay squad alongside Bolt, helped set a world record of 36.84 seconds at the 2012 London Olympics. Despite his later disqualification from the 2008 Olympic Games due to a doping violation, Carter’s contributions to the 4x100m relay at the World Championships are indisputable, with golds in 2011, 2013, and 2015.
Devonish, meanwhile, was part of the British squad that pulled off a sensational victory over the U.S. in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Known for his tactical brilliance as a bend runner, Devonish’s medal-winning spree spanned a decade, earning him four medals at Worlds between 1999 and 2009. Though both Devonish and Carter are now retired, their legacy casts a long shadow over the current generation, and adds weight to what Coleman is attempting to achieve in Tokyo.
If Coleman can deliver on the biggest stage and secure his fifth World Championship medal in the 4x100m relay, he will join Bolt in the annals of sprinting history, not just as a standout individual, but as one of the most decorated relay runners ever. It’s a storyline bursting with anticipation, and one that blends historical reverence with present-day athletic brilliance.
Tokyo could be Coleman’s defining moment. The stakes are sky-high, the pressure immense, but Coleman thrives on that energy. As the track world holds its breath, the question looms large: will Christian Coleman match Usain Bolt’s legendary tally and etch his name in gold on the final night in Tokyo? If his career so far is anything to go by, the answer may very well be yes.
