Christian Coleman was fast at the USATF championships but not fast enough to make the podium. Result? Missed the chance to be at the World Championships. After that, he made an Instagram post where a part of his caption read, “My breakthrough this season didn’t earn me top 3 at trials but personally it let me know I’m right where I need to be. I have so much more to give this sport, and I feel like I’m just getting started! God is the greatest!!🙏🏾Im living proof🧘🏾‍♂️!!” The message was clear. Sure, he has faced defeat now, but he still does have a lot of fuel left in the tank. Though races after this message have not been that good. In Silesia, he was quick but 4th in 9.96s. But he sure does have a plan to get on the plane for Tokyo.

“It felt okay. I mean, I haven’t ran too many 200s all year, so my plan was really just try to execute a good race and just try to use it to prepare me, like you say, into next week going into Zurich, so I feel like I executed that, but as a competitor, you definitely want to, you know, see your name higher up on the podium, but overall it was okay,” said Coleman when he was asked about his race today in a post-race interview. The 60m World record holder started strong in the men’s 200m but faded late, finishing 4th in 20.42s. Alexander Ogando won in 20.16s, with Robert Gregory (20.19s) second and Udodi Onwuzurike (20.29s) third.

The interviewer noted Coleman’s 9.96 at Silesia and his season progress, then asked if his focus is now on the Diamond League final and the Tokyo relays. Coleman said, “Yeah, that’s definitely the plan, try to go to Tokyo and show push, win the medal, but my first lock-in on the Diamond League championship, I feel like I’ve got a really good opportunity there next week, so put all my chips in there and see what I can do, and reset, refocus and try to go and build the relay in the best way I can.” The 2025 Wanda Diamond League Final in Zürich is scheduled for August 27 and 28.

Normally, if Coleman managed to win the Diamond League final, he would have earned an automatic wildcard entry at the World Championships. But Noah Lyles already holds the wildcard as the reigning world champion, so that slot is taken. The USA team had four slots open in both 100 and 200m, and the podiums at the USATF Championships took them with Lyles. So, the best roadmap for Coleman is to give his best in Zurich and win it if possible. But that might not be easy since his indoor rival, Noah Lyles, is coming.

Yet, a great performance in Zurich can significantly boost his case for discretionary selection. And he has been bettering himself. Coleman had started the season with several sub-11 performances, losing to young guns, but now he is clocking sub-10s.

Christian Coleman has been getting better

This season, Coleman’s 100m journey has been a rollercoaster, one that only goes up. Sure, he has not won a single race in 2025, but he has been getting faster.

He opened with steady marks just above 10 seconds, moving from 10.18 in Xiamen to 10.11 in Tokyo. Each race showed small steps forward. And by June, he was under 10.10, running 10.06 in Gainesville and a wind-aided 9.93 in Florida. The progression was clear; each outing brought sharper execution and faster times.

By the USA Championships, that buildup paid off.

Christian Coleman moved through the rounds with 10.08 in the heats and 9.94 in the semifinals, before delivering a 9.86 in the final, his best of the year. He carried that form to Europe, clocking 9.96 at the Diamond League in Chorzów. Now, the next stop is Zurich, one final hope for the World Championships. Can Christian Coleman make it? We will see in a few days…