As a former 100m world champion, Christian Coleman was one of the favourites to take gold across the distance at Paris 2024.
Sadly for the 28-year-old, his dream of winning one of the most-watched events at the Olympic Games is over for another four years after suffering more heartbreak on the track – but his medal hopes aren’t entirely over.
Coleman’s journey to the Games has been anything but smooth, marked by controversies and setbacks. One of the most notable incidents during the Atlanta-born star’s career so far was a missed drugs test while he was allegedly Christmas shopping, leading to his absence from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Having been back on the track for nearly three years since that drama, Coleman was determined to put the controversy behind him, make up for lost time and earn gold in Paris – only to miss out on a place in Team USA in both the 100m and 200m.
But, he still has a shot at being selected for the 4x100m team, where – if picked – he will be aiming for redemption after a series of personal disappointments.
Making his mark
Born on March 6, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia, Coleman showed early signs of exceptional talent in sprinting.
His prowess on the track became evident during his college years at the University of Tennessee, where he won multiple NCAA titles and set records that caught the attention of the international athletics community.
His explosive starts and remarkable acceleration made him a formidable competitor in the 100m and 200m events.
Coleman’s breakthrough came in 2017 when he won a silver medal in the 100m at the World Athletics Championships in London, clocking a time of 9.94 seconds. This performance solidified his reputation as one of the fastest men in the world.
Just two years later, Coleman upgraded his world silver medal with a gold, setting a personal best of 9.76 seconds. But the race came in the middle of some serious controversy.
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Christmas shopping sham
In August 2019, one month before the World Athletics Championships, the United States Anti-Doping Agency temporarily banned Coleman under anti-doping whereabouts rules.
These regulations prevent athletes from missing three drug tests in a 12-month period, which Coleman allegedly had.
The US sprinter successfully appealed the decision, allowing him to compete at the World Championships, but it was then found he had missed yet another drug test and he received an 18-month ban.
Coleman claimed that one of the missed tests had taken place when he was out Christmas shopping ‘five minutes away’, and insisted the testers had not bothered to call him to see where he was.
“I think the attempt on December 9 was a purposeful attempt to get me to miss a test,” he said on social media. “I’ve been contacted by phone literally every other time I’ve been tested… why would the Athletics Integrity Unit tell him not to call me?!”
Coleman added: “This isn’t justice for anybody. Not me, not them, not the sport, who wins here? I am willing to take a drug test every single day for the rest of my career for all I care to prove my innocence.”
Coleman received a mixture of empathy and antipathy from his fellow athletes, with now-retired British 400m hurdler Eilidh Doyle posting on social media: “Even when I was in hospital for three days, having my baby, my first thought was I better update my whereabouts. It’s just what has to be done to ensure credibility within our sport. #Cleansport.”
The 18-month suspension meant Coleman missed out on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, leaving him forced to watch from the sidelines as Italy’s Marcell Jacobs claimed the 100m title.
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Return to competition and Paris 2024 hopes
Determined to reclaim his position at the pinnacle of sprinting, Coleman returned to competition in 2022 after serving his suspension.
His comeback was marked by a series of strong performances, although he faced stiff competition from fellow American sprinters such as Noah Lyles and other rising stars from around the world.
Coleman looked on track to medal in the 100m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, running a season’s best of 9.88 in the semi-finals, but he slipped in the final and was unable to finish on the podium.
Still, Coleman did not let this disappointing result deter him. He beat Lyles in the 100m at the Diamond League finals, increasing his season’s best to 9.83. This was Coleman’s fastest 100m since the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
He would go on to win another gold in the 60m event at the 2024 Indoor World Athletics Championships in Glasgow and, with the Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon, expectations where high that Coleman would make it into USA’s 100m line-up.
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However, he became another victim of the United States’ trials system as he finished fourth in the 100m final in June – meaning his dreams of winning Olympic 100m gold this summer were over.
While Coleman’s 9.93 seconds time matched the Olympic standard, it was only good enough to finish in fourth place in a competitive race behind Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Fred Kerley.
Reacting to his 100m heartbreak, Coleman wrote on Instagram: “Humbled and grateful God chose me for this path, and I promise to see it through. The love and support has been felt and is much appreciated. This next phase is for y’all. Marathon continues.”
Despite the huge setback, Coleman was still aiming for a spot at Paris 2024 as part of Team USA’s 200m line-up, but ultimately finished that final in fourth place too.
However, there is still a chance he is selected for the 4x100m team, having been named in the relay pool of reserve athletes for Team USA.
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Having taken only three sprinters to represent the nation in the 100m event, it leaves a spot open for a fourth athlete, and Coleman – who is regarded as one of the fastest starters off the blocks in the sport – is highly likely to be picked.
So, although it means the World Indoor champion, who came into the US trials as one of the most in-form runners in 2024, saw his hopes of individual glory end in the space of a week, his dreams of an Olympic gold at Paris 2024 have not completely evaporated.
However, relay gold is unlikely to sate his appetite for a personal win, and so Coleman will have another four years to wait until the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028, when he will be 32, to try again to get into Team USA and compete for an Olympic medal he can call his own.
It will be a difficult task, but Coleman is determined to overcome the setbacks he has experienced so far in his career and finally make his mark at the Olympic Games.