Why Christian Coleman is Not Worried Despite Yet Another Loss At the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track

Christian Coleman finished sixth at the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track in the 200 meters, in what was his sixth outdoor race of the season, but he is not panicking yet.

At Saturday’s (May 31) Grand Slam Track stop in Philadelphia, Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek stormed to a 19.95 finish in the men’s 200m, taking top honors ahead of Team GB’s Zharnel Hughes (20.50) and Canada’s Aaron Brown. Andre De Grasse, the Olympic 200m champion, finished fourth.

But all eyes were on Christian Coleman—and not for the reasons he’d prefer.

The former 100m world champion ended up sixth, clocking 20.66 seconds. It marked his fifth straight loss, raising fresh doubts about his form ahead of the Paris Olympics.

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Christian Coleman’s Worrying 2025 Form

Coleman has not had the ideal start to his 2025 season. After switching coaches to Dennis Mitchell and moving to Florida last year, the hope was that it would help him make marginal improvements to his running after years of struggle ever since returning to elite running after serving a two year ban for skipping a doping test.

On April 13 at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, FL, he ran a strong 10.06 seconds in the 100m, one of his better times this year. 

A week later, on April 20, he finished fourth at the Xiamen Diamond League in China with a 10.18-second 100m. Just six days after that, at the Shaoxing Meet in China on April 26, Coleman clocked 10.13 seconds, placing fifth. 

Then on May 25, at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, he improved slightly to take third place with a 10.11-second finish. 

While these times show consistency, Coleman has yet to break through with a win this season.  But it seems some experts still have faith in him.

Yet despite the worrying trend, Coleman isn’t panicking.

“It just kind of felt like my first one of the year,” Coleman said after the race. “I feel like I executed a good 150, but I just gotta keep getting more reps in and getting better at it.”

Now in his late twenties, Coleman has been attempting a subtle reinvention this season—stepping up from his trademark explosive 60m and 100m sprints to take on the longer 200m. And while the results haven’t yet followed, Coleman believes the transformation is underway.

“For me, it's about breaking old, bad habits and redefining myself as a sprinter,” he explained. “Really just teaching myself good habits, you know what I’m saying? And then just getting the reps in to be able to perfect that.”

He admitted it’s frustrating being so close to the form he knows he’s capable of, but he’s choosing patience over panic.

“It’s coming along. Like, it’s right there,” he said. “A little frustrating—like I told you back in Tokyo—just ‘cause I know what I’m capable of. And it’s right there. But I don’t know... just gotta stay out of it, you know? It’ll come along.”

Coleman: I Will Deliver When it Matters Most

While his competitors continue to post podium-worthy times, Coleman isn’t preoccupied with the names lining up next to him. His only concern is being ready when it matters most.

“At this level, everybody has a good coach. Everybody’s planning their season to be at their best when it matters,” he said. “We just have to lock in on my own path and make sure I’m at my best when it counts.”

Coleman also credits his day-to-day training group with keeping him sharp—even if they happen to be his toughest rivals.

“The guys I train with are my stiffest competition,” he said. “We push each other every day, feed off each other’s strengths, work on our weaknesses, and just keep trying to get better as a unit.”

So while another sub-par showing may concern outsiders, Coleman seems to know exactly where he’s headed—and isn’t in a rush to get there. Not yet.