Track season 2025 is starting to feel like the era of Kenny Bednarek. He’s not just winning, he’s dominating with style. In Philadelphia, Bednarek ran a smooth 19.95 seconds in the 200m, barely pushing in the final 40 meters. Why? Because he already knew the race was his. That win marks his third consecutive Grand Slam title after sweeping both sprints in Miami. He was the only athlete to go sub-20 in Philly. Right now, Kenny isn’t just the fastest, he’s the most in control. While others are scrambling to find rhythm, he’s locked in. But while Bednarek rises, his fellow American sprinter Christian Coleman seems to be sinking.

Once the 2019 World Champion in the 100m, Coleman finished 6th in Philly, clocking 20.66 seconds. And it wasn’t just a rough race, it was part of a troubling pattern. This was his fifth straight loss, trailing behind names like Zharnel Hughes (20.50), Aaron Brown (20.50), Andre De Grasse (20.58), Bryan Levell (20.63), and others. For a man who used to own the start and explode out of blocks, something’s clearly off. The talent is still there, but the magic? It’s flickering. Part of that may trace back to a major change Coleman made last year.

After years under Tim Hall, his trusted coach from his college days at Tennessee, Christian Coleman made the tough call to leave. Hall’s duties as a university head coach made one-on-one training harder, and after failing to qualify for the individual sprints at the Paris Olympics, Coleman knew he needed something different. So he joined Star Athletics Track Club in Florida, under legendary coach Dennis Mitchell, who trains elite names like Sha’Carri Richardson, Kenny Bednarek, Aaron Brown, and more. Coleman believed this switch would reset him mentally, spiritually, and physically. It made sense. But change always comes at a cost. And what was his cost?

Coleman traded a customized, college-style setup for a high-volume, group-based training program that demands adaptation, especially tough at age 29. Mitchell’s system is all about explosive power and heavy sprint workloads. It’s designed for multiple elites, not one individual. That means less one-on-one time, different drills, and a new rhythm his body isn’t used to. And at this stage in a sprinter’s career, the window for experimentation is tight.

The training shock can lead to fatigue, minor injuries, and inconsistent results. Coleman said he hoped to reset “mentally, spiritually, and physically,” but so far, he’s stuck in transition. The clock is ticking and with World Champion hip just 3 months away, one of America’s former sprint kings needs more than just faith. He needs a breakthrough. But looking at his season so far, questions arise about whether switching coaches after so long was the right move. Even coach David E. Robinson pointed out, “So far, has Christian Coleman had a victory in 2025? He doesn’t. He doesn’t. Does not….It wasn’t that Christian Coleman that we know, who’s arguably the greatest starter, at least of the current guys, maybe in history; you can argue that.” While his decision to change the coach remains under question, some experts still believe his next chapter hasn’t been written yet.

No wins yet, but faith in Christian Coleman’s speed remains strong

Christian Coleman’s 2025 race season has no standout victories so far. On April 13 at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, FL, he ran a strong 10.06 seconds in the 100m, one of his better times this year. A week later, on April 20, he finished fourth at the Xiamen Diamond League in China with a 10.18-second 100m. Just six days after that, at the Shaoxing Meet in China on April 26, Coleman clocked 10.13 seconds, placing fifth. Then on May 25, at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, he improved slightly to take third place with a 10.11-second finish. While these times show consistency, Coleman has yet to break through with a win this season.  But it seems some experts still have faith in him.

Noah Williams that the NCAA champ, spoke to the Track World News podcast, and there he made it clear he’s not ready to write Christian Coleman off just yet. He shared something pretty interesting from his high school coach: “When you’re consistently running times within a tenth of a second, you’re preparing your body for a big drop.” That’s exactly what Coleman’s been doing, hanging around that 10.1-second mark. Noah even went on to say, “If I had to predict, in the next four to six weeks, I see Christian dropping a time around 9.86 or 9.88.” Sounds like Coleman’s gearing up for something big, even if this season looks a little off on paper. And it’s not just Noah who feels that way.

Track analyst Anderson Emerole weighed in too, pointing out that Coleman’s season has been kind of up and down. But he said something that really hits home: “This is going to be a moment for Christian Coleman to prove that, ‘Listen, he is still one of the fastest guys of all time.’” And honestly, you can’t argue with that. Coleman’s got the hardware to back it up, 2019 World Champs gold in the 100m at 9.76 seconds, multiple relay golds, and even world indoor titles. The guy is a 3-time world champ and a current world record holder. That’s no small feat.

Sure, if you look at this season’s stats, 10.06 in the 100m, 20.66 in the 200m, it doesn’t exactly scream world-beater. But knowing Coleman’s history, it’s clear he’s just setting the stage. Those consistent times close together? Like Noah said, it’s all about prepping for that big drop. So honestly, don’t count him out. Coleman’s comeback might be right around the corner and when it hits, it’s going to be something to watch.