Christian Coleman's confidence soars despite Kenny Bednarek upset in Miramar Invitational

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Christian Coleman's confidence soars despite Kenny Bednarek upset in Miramar Invitational

Festus Chuma 12:07 - 07.04.2024

Christian Coleman finished second to Kenny Bednarek in the Miramar 200m and eyes a showdown with Fred Kerley in 100m at the Shanghai Diamond League.

Christian Coleman found himself in an unusual position at the Miramar Invitational held on Saturday, 6 April, at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, USA. 

In a gripping men's 200m final, Coleman was narrowly defeated by fellow American Kenny Bednarek, who crossed the finish line in 20.35 seconds, just ahead of Coleman's 20.43 seconds. 

Reflecting on his performance, Coleman expressed his confidence in his abilities across various distances. 

"I feel like I'm pretty decent at the 60, the 100, but I feel like I can run a good 200 too.So I wanted to come out here and compete against the best - good weather, good competition, open up the season well," he said.

Despite falling short of victory, Coleman remains focused on his goals, looking ahead to the upcoming Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League Meeting in China. 

There, he is slated to face fellow American Fred Kerley in the 100 meters, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown between two sprinting titans.

Meanwhile, Bednarek basked in the glory of his victory, attributing his success to careful planning and execution.

 "It was great. We've got a lot of fast guys here," Bednarek said in his post-race interview. "I just had to follow the plan because I knew Christian was going to get out. I listened to my coach, and I got the result I wanted."

The Miramar Invitational lived up to its reputation with a showcase of exceptional talent in a wide array of disciplines. 

In the women's 100m, Melissa Jefferson clinched victory with a time of 11.19 seconds, leading a strong field that highlighted the depth of talent in American sprinting.

The men's 100m was a spectacle of speed and prowess, with Courtney Lindsey of the USA securing the top spot in a photo finish against Ackeem Blake of Jamaica, both clocking in at 10.28 seconds.

In the women's 200m, Sada Williams of Barbados emerged victorious with a time of 22.82 second demonstrating her dominance in the discipline. 

The race was marked by the absence of Natalliah Whyte of Jamaica and Kristina Knott of the Philippines, both of whom did not start, narrowing the field but not the intensity of the competition.

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