The iconic former sprinter has revealed why people should not give up on Christian Coleman following a relativeley slow start to his outdoor 100m season.
Former American sprinter Justin Gatlin has highlighted a specific attribute that could help Christian Coleman excel at the Paris 2024 Olympics, provided he meets the qualifying time at trials.
Coleman, who won the 2019 World title in the 100m in Doha and is the reigning World Indoor 60m champion, is known for his incredible speed off the mark. However, his performance at the start of the outdoor season has been less than stellar.
Although Coleman secured a victory at the 100m Diamond League in Shanghai, he did not break the 10-second barrier.
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A week later, he lost to South Africa’s Akani Simbine in Suzhou but eventually ran his first sub-10-second race of the season with a seasonal best time of 9.95 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
Despite this inconsistent start, Gatlin, who bested Coleman for the gold medal in 2017, remains confident in the 28-year-old’s ability to shine when it matters most.
"The thing you gotta like about Coleman is, no matter if it's an early season race or a later race or even through the rounds, he understands how to rise to the occasions for the big moments," Gatlin said on the Ready Set Go podcast.
"If he is capable of getting the job done, 100 percent he will get it done. That is what you got to love about these athletes with dog mentality. They rise to the occasion."
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Coleman himself has taken a measured approach to his performances, focusing on competition rather than just times.
After the Prefontaine Classic, he told the media, "It is not even about the times. I just want to go out there, execute, and compete every time. In the Diamond League, it is like the regular season. Practice. We have to go out there, fine-tune it and get better and better.
"But you are competing in a world-class field. Every race is not going to be perfect. You have to focus on competing and coming home with a win, go back to the drawing board, rolling out again, and going again."
As Coleman prepares for the critical races ahead, his focus on execution and competition, combined with his ability to perform under pressure, may well position him as a strong contender for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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