A streak of bad luck! That’s one way to sum up Christian Coleman’s 2025 so far. Five races. Five losses. Yep, you read that right, and we’re not even halfway through the year! What’s going on with the guy who once had the track world buzzing? This is the same Christian Coleman who beat Usain Bolt in 2017, the same one who became World Champion in 2019. Even Bolt gave him props back then, saying, “I lost the race to a great competitor… He has great talent and a great future ahead of me.” And for a while, he lived up to that mark. But now? The wins are missing, and fans are wondering if the spark is fading. Yet while the world turns away and critics count him out, someone close to his heart still believes in him!

If you’ve been paying attention since 2023, then you already know Christian Coleman and Sha’Carri Richardson have been quietly building something special. They kept it on the low for almost two years, but here we are in 2025, and it’s official—their bond is out and open. And just recently, all eyes were on Philly for the Grand Slam track meet. The weather? It looked good at first glance, sunny, clear skies, but the wind was doing just enough to mess with the vibe. Not horrible, but definitely not ideal.

There was a subtle crosswind, just enough to throw off rhythm and timing if you weren’t locked in. Christian Coleman stepped onto the track ready to compete, but his performance didn’t match the hype. His training partner, Kenny Bednarek, cruised to a clean 19.95 in the 200m. Coleman, though? He faded to 6th with a 20.66, behind Zharnel Hughes (20.50), Aaron Brown (20.50), Andre De Grasse (20.58), and Bryan Levell (20.63). That fire-start we know him for? Missing in action.

Now here’s where it shifts. After the race, you could see it he was not happy with himself, his body language was heavy. But instead of retreating into the locker room, Coleman made his way to the stands. And there she was: Sha’Carri Richardson. Not racing this time, she recently signed with Athlos and is taking a competitive breather, but is fully present in her signature laid-back style: black tee, dark cap. She wasn’t just there, she was there. As Coleman walked over, she leaned down from the stands, reached out her hand, and held his. Simple. Steady. You didn’t need audio to know what that moment meant. That was the support he needed right then, and he got it.

That moment? That was everything. Because while track and field can be brutally honest, the clock doesn’t lie, and the rankings don’t care, having someone who sees you beyond the stopwatch? That hits on a whole other level. Coleman might’ve lost that race, but in that quiet exchange with Sha’Carri, he found something else, maybe even more powerful than a win. Yet, it feels like the track and field community is being harsh on Christian Coleman after this loss.

The streets are loud, Christian Coleman’s off, Sha’Carri Richardson’s out and everyone’s noticing

Track and field fans are definitely not staying silent about Christian Coleman’s recent performances. One fan didn’t hold back, commenting, “Oh Christian Coleman is truly over #grandslamtrack.” Since the 2024 Paris Olympics, disappointment seems to have followed Coleman. He entered the U.S. Olympic Trials with high hopes but fell just short, finishing fourth in both the 100m and 200m finals with times of 9.93 seconds and 19.89 seconds, respectively. Only the top three in each event made the Olympic team, leaving Coleman just on the outside looking in. But again, in 2025, disappointment didn’t stop.

In 2025, Christian Coleman’s season has had some bright moments, but still no breakthrough. On April 13, at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, FL, he ran a solid 10.06 seconds in the 100m, one of his better times this year. A week later at the Xiamen Diamond League in China, he finished fourth with a 10.18-second sprint. Then on April 26, at the Shaoxing Meet in China, he placed fifth with a 10.13-second finish. Most recently, on May 25, at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, Coleman improved slightly to take third place with a 10.11-second run. With results like these, one more fan’s question, which feels very relevant: “Christian Coleman you good dawg?”

One fan threw out the suggestion, “Christian Coleman should regularly run in Grand Slam Track next year. He’d benefit from the 200m reps.” What they’re really saying is Coleman needs more consistent, high-level competition, especially in the 200m, to sharpen his form and build stamina. The Grand Slam Track series is a big deal with top-notch sprinters, so racing there regularly could help him regain his edge and confidence. At the same time, other fans are raising the stakes, saying, “Christian Coleman better win tonight.” That’s pure pressure talk. So here’s the thing: with the World Championships just three months away, Coleman’s recent results have a lot of us scratching our heads. What’s really slowing him down?

From where we see it, part of the struggle comes down to a big change he made last year, switching coaches and training styles. That kind of shift isn’t easy for anyone, especially not for a sprinter in his late 20s when every detail counts. Coleman spent years with Tim Hall, his college coach, who knew him inside and out. But after missing out on Olympic qualification, he decided to join Star Athletics Track Club in Florida, training under Dennis Mitchell. Now, Mitchell’s program is intense, focused on high-volume workouts and explosive power, mostly designed for groups of elite athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson. That’s a big departure from Coleman’s old, more personalized setup.

From my perspective, it’s like trading in a custom-tailored suit for something off the rack; it might fit okay, but it’s not perfect for you. And at 29, adapting to a new system can slow progress more than speed it up. So yeah, this change, while promising on paper, is probably the biggest thing hampering his comeback right now. But with time can help him out.

Meanwhile, there’s also chatter about Sha’Carri, with someone saying, “Cute but when is Shacrri going to do something on the track. I swear she is just sitting there watching other athletes compete when she could be competing herself. I dont know what training regime she is following but Melissa aint playing this year.” Despite the noise, Richardson hasn’t made an official statement on why she opted out of the event but it’s likely a mix of strategic decisions behind the scenes.

A major factor appears to be the league’s pay structure. Reports say GST offers appearance fees of $10,000 per event, a figure many, like former U.S. sprinter Monzavous “Rae” Edwards, called “disrespectful” for an athlete of Sha’Carri’s stature. On top of that, the league’s early struggles with securing major broadcast deals and sponsorships raised red flags for some athletes concerned about exposure and long-term impact.

Beyond the money, Sha’Carri seems to be focused on the bigger picture. The league’s setup might not align with her career goals. She’s likely prioritizing major meets like the meets like Prefontaine Classic and the USATF Championships, where competition is fierce and performance directly impacts global rankings. As she once put it herself, “I’m not back, I’m better.” This might just be another case of her playing the long game.