Christian Coleman’s nightmare continues as the American star faces another crushing setback on the track. In the Shanghai Diamond League, which many anticipated he would dominate, Coleman instead found himself far from the podium. Competing at the Diamond League in Xiamen on April 26th, Coleman struggled from the start, finishing in fourth place with a disappointing 10.18 seconds. Fans had hoped for a strong performance, but instead, it was South Africa’s Akani Simbine who stole the show, securing a blistering 9.99-second win.

The misery didn’t end there. To add salt to the wound, Coleman is now outpaced by Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson in the 100m final, who had been struggling with injuries all season. Thompson, despite a challenging year plagued by hamstring issues and setbacks, managed to make a strong comeback, leaving Coleman in the dust.

Now, with a renewed focus and resilience, Thompson has proven he’s capable of rising above adversity, something Coleman is desperately hoping to do after another humbling defeat. In the men’s 100m, Akani Simbine delivered a performance that reaffirmed his position as a top contender, clinching the win with a solid 9.98s, aided by a slight 0.5 m/s wind.

Not far behind, Kishane Thompson showcased his impressive comeback with a 9.99s time, proving that he’s back to full strength after a period of recovery. Botswana’s sprint star,

Letsile Tebogo, impressed with a season-best 10.03s, taking third and showing consistency in his performance. Meanwhile, Christian Coleman, who once ruled this event, finished a surprising fifth with a time of 10.13s, highlighting a concerning dip in his form.

While Simbine’s consistency shone through, Coleman’s struggles this season continue to raise questions about his ability to regain his former dominance. After a rollercoaster 2024 season marked by flashes of brilliance and moments of frustration, Christian Coleman entered 2025 with something to prove. Though sidelined from the Tokyo Olympics due to a two-year suspension, he roared back by winning gold in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Outdoors, he looked promising, too. But just when things were looking up, the U.S. Olympic Trials delivered a crushing blow: Coleman missed out on Paris 2024 after finishing fourth in both the 100m and 200m. It was a gut punch, but not the end. Instead of retreating, Coleman doubled down. With fire in his eyes and unfinished business on the track, he entered 2025, aiming to take down a stacked field.

But with names like Kishane Thompson, Noah Lyles, and Akani Simbine in the mix, things were bound to be tough. And as expected, the race didn’t go as planned. Once again, the results fell short of expectations as Coleman suffered another blow, finishing fifth in the men’s 100m in Suzhou with a time of 10.13 seconds. The journey of his return became more complicated, with yet another challenging obstacle to his ambition.

Coleman’s Olympic dreams crumble amid alarming dip in form

Christian Coleman’s career has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Once hailed as the fastest man on the planet, he reminded everyone of his explosive potential at the Prefontaine Classic, where he stunned the field with a blistering 9.83 seconds, then the world-leading time. For a moment, it felt like the old Coleman was back. But the highs didn’t last long.

The U.S. Olympic Trials stunned Coleman when he came in fourth place and missed qualification for individual events in both the 100m and 200m. There was still some hope with the 4x100m relay, but it quickly turned to heartbreak. Four USA athletes, consisting of Coleman and his teammates Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King, and Fred Kerley, missed the first handoff, which led to their final finish of fifth place and then their eventual disqualification from competition.

A successful Olympic medal eluded him forever when his competition ended disastrously. At the Diamond League Final on September 13, Coleman completed the race behind Ackeem Blake of Jamaica with a time of 10.00 seconds. Appearing solid, the race did not resolve the developing doubts about his unreliable performance pattern. Then came the 2025 season.

This particular chapter in the season has failed to generate any sense of hope. Attendees of the Tom Jones Memorial meet anticipated a strong performance from Coleman because this event did not include any elite Olympic or World Championship competitors. During this event, he finished in fourth position after running a time of 10.06 seconds.

The outcome became another disappointing result since Coleman was still searching for his season’s first time in ten seconds. Each passing competition reveals that Christian Coleman gets further and further behind the world-class sprinters. Ranked just 25th in the season based on times, he has yet to post a sub-10 run in 2025. A concerning stat for a former world champion. The urgency to rebound is now louder than ever. The question isn’t just whether Coleman can win again but whether he can even stay in the conversation among the sport’s elite.