Despite having Sha’Carri Richardson by his side, Christian Coleman seems to be struggling to get back into his groove. Officially confirmed as the love interest of the Olympic silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson, Coleman has been expected to replicate his fiery form that brought him to prominence. Touted as one of the biggest competitors of Noah Lyles, Coleman failed to qualify for the 100m category in the Paris Olympics. However, with a new season coming up, the hopes were pretty high for the US track and field phenom. Unfortunately, things took quite a somber turn recently!

Taking to the tracks for the first time in 2025, Christian Coleman took part in the Tom Jones Invitational in the 100m. However, although he had high hopes for the race, the end result in the heat did leave a sour taste in Coleman’s mouth. Coming to the race, the lineup looked quite favorable for Coleman to secure a victory. But when the race started, it looked like an entirely different ball game altogether. Right from the very first moment, Coleman did not look quite in his element. Or maybe his competition was just a lot better this time!

Olympian Courtney Lindsey looked like a bolt from the blue in Heat 1 as he exploded off the blocks. And once Lindsey was off to a flyer, there was no catching up from Coleman. With the race ending in a jiffy, Lindsey recorded one of the best times of his career. Dropping a blitzkrieg of 9.97s, Lindsey took the first position in Heat 1 in an emphatic manner. Well, so that means Coleman came in second, right?

Well, not really! Piling up on Coleman’s agony was a teenager, Christian Miller! The 18-year-old ran the 100m dash in 10.02s in heat 1, securing a 2nd place finish in what was a nightmarish outcome for Coleman. With a moderate time of 10.06s, Christian Coleman managed to grab a third-place finish in heat 1. Finally, when the results of the heats were compiled for the Invitational to get the final results, Coleman could not secure a podium finish. Eloy Benitez, who clocked 10.04s in Heat 2 and secured first place in the respective heat, came third in the final standings, pushing Coleman to the fourth pedestal.

Now then, this was the very first time that Coleman took to the tracks after 2024. The last time we saw him run was back at the Diamond League finals in Brussels. However, he did compete in a 4x100m relay earlier this month in the Florida Relays. Unfortunately, this time too, Coleman ended up finishing fourth along with his quartet. Meanwhile, despite his loss, Coleman seems to be enjoying his time with his beau, Sha’Carri Richardson. Ahead of the Tom Jones Invitational, the duo could be seen training together.

Sha’Carri Richardson drops training tease with Christian Coleman ahead of season debut

Sha’Carri Richardson had teased a special appearance. And now it’s clear what it was all about. A day before Christian Coleman opened his season at the Tom Jones Invitational, Richardson posted an Instagram story showing them preparing together, captioned simply, “PRE MEEET.” It was a low-key but telling moment, revealing just how closely the Olympic champion has been involved in Coleman’s 2025 opener.

Sha’Carri, who had only recently announced his upcoming schedule, gave followers a sneak peek into the shared pre-race vibes as the couple hit the track together. Though she didn’t compete, her presence was anything but passive. On race day, she dropped another update—a short selfie-style video of them holding hands and walking into the venue. Their chemistry was evident, but it was the setting that made it clear this was all about track.

Coleman, making his first individual appearance of the season, lined up in a stacked men’s 100m final. Though he settled for third place in 10.06 s, he had all the support he needed. Richardson has previously said, “My emotions are my superpower,” and from the looks of it, she’s channeling that power into every corner of her journey, including the moments she shares with Coleman.