The world of track and field is renowned for nurturing talent from a young age, with many prodigies transitioning into world-renowned athletes as they mature. Names like Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles, Michael Norman, Allyson Felix, and numerous others have started their upward journey on the track in childhood and teenage competitions.

However, when the USA Track & Field (USATF) announced that they wouldn’t be sending a team to the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, this August, the decision sparked major debates and backlash within the track and field community. Now, weeks after this controversy rocked the sport, a track and field veteran has reignited the debate, using the performance of a young record-breaker, Christian Miller, as fuel for a fiery clapback.

Track and field veteran uses Christian Miller’s record to shed light on past issue

On the YouTube podcast “Ready Set Go” by Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green, the track dynamos discussed the young prodigy Christian Miller, who now holds the U18 World Record for the 100 meters, which he ran in 9.93 seconds at the Pure Athletics Spring Invitational in Clermont, Florida, in April 2024. Amazed by his 9.93 seconds, the podcast hosts, Justin Gatlin, and Rodney Green, agreed to officially put Christian on the RSG (Ready Set Go) watch list.

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Justin Gatlin, in full agreement with this decision, said the reason for putting Christian Miller on the RSG watchlist was because, “I say this because, if you read the news, they canceled the Lima Under-20 championships. And once again, I think in our sport, that’s definitely an injustice coz now you have robbed a generation of athletes to prep themselves to get ready for that next level, you know what I mean? Our sport, and especially being an elite athlete, our sport is about experience experience, experience.”

Gatlin stressed that although the talent was there, the lack of experience hindered them. Gatlin felt that canceling the championships robbed these young athletes of the chance to travel internationally and compete against others their age, denying them valuable experience. Therefore, they decided to add Christian Miller to the watch list because he had officially expressed his intention to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics trials. As we reflect on these words, let us delve into why the USATF made the decision and why it was criticized.

USATF’s decision that stirred controversy

On April 8, 2024, USATF announced its decision not to send a team to the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, scheduled for August 26–31, 2024. This decision was made after thorough consideration of various factors. USATF cited safety concerns, particularly travel advisories issued by the US State Department because of ongoing civil unrest in the area, as a primary reason for their decision.

Additionally, they highlighted that the event dates conflicted with the end of the summer period, posing challenges for many high school and college athletes who would have already returned to school or campuses for the 2024–2025 academic year. Moreover, USATF pointed out that despite the competitive opportunities provided by their organization, many high school and college athletes who might have qualified for Team USA would lack adequate competitive opportunities between the end of the USATF U20 Championships in mid-June and the late August start of the event in Peru, severely limiting their competitive readiness for this world-level competition.

This decision was met with criticism from many track and field fans, including veteran Michael Johnson, who questioned, “Is the track & field global champs model in trouble?” Reflecting on the opinion expressed by Justin Gatlin, a new perspective emerges, highlighting the pivotal role that championships from a young age play in shaping the icons of the future. What are your thoughts? Comment below!