At just 18 years old, Christian Miller has climbed his way up the ranks. The young athlete’s most notable achievement would be breaking the American U20 record earlier this year. He is now preparing to secure a spot on the national team for the upcoming Summer Games. Barely a month out of high school, Miller is now preparing for the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field. 

Miller’s stellar performance in the heats has qualified him for the semis which will take place today. The young prodigy will be up against track icons like Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman. This might not be Miller’s first rodeo, but will he be able to keep up with the nation’s fastest? 

Christian Miller has his sights set on the bigger prize

The former world’s fastest had an incredibly slow start at his first ever Olympic Trials. Despite being left behind in the dust, he eventually pushed through for a stellar finish in the 100m dash. With an impressive time of 10.22 seconds, Miller secured the fifth position. His time pushed him through to the semi-finals, and he is now one step closer to punching his ticket for the French capital. 

FloTrack caught up with the wunderkind at the trials. They shared a snippet of their conversation on Instagram, captioned “Recent high school grad @c_millly moves on to the semifinals of the men’s 100m at the U.S. Olympic Trials and hopes he can inspire younger athletes to shoot for high goals.#trackfieldtrials24” Miller was asked if there was anything in particular that was his driving force at the trials. 

Miller thoughtfully responded, “Just putting on a show and showing all the other younger athletes out there that you can get to this day.” The 18-year-old has had a stellar run so far, and wants to prove that anybody can do it. He continued, “you can put enough work in and you can make a huge impact on the field, whether you make it to the final, make it to the Olympic team or not.” The 18-year-old aspires to create an impact on the international stage, and being at the trials is a testament to that. 

He has previously drawn inspiration from track and field legend Usain Bolt. Just like him, Miller wants to focus on bettering his personal records and setting new ones. The young athlete has also drawn comparisons to triple world champion and fellow Paris hopeful, Noah Lyles. Miller believes if he comes close to anyone at the moment, it would be him. 

Climbing the ranks to the top

Miller first had a taste of success in 2022. At the FHSAA Outdoor State Finals, he clinched a silver with an impressive 10.69 seconds on the clock. He then went on to win a gold, clocking in 20.82 seconds in 200m. Shortly after, he won in 200m again at the New Balance Nationals. He clinched a gold with an impressive 21.32 seconds. But this was just the beginning of Miller’s stellar journey. 

In 2023, he clinched a gold at the USA U20 Championships. Miller set the World U18 record by clocking in 10.06 seconds in the 100m race. But his impressive performance at the Pure Athletics Invitational made him the third fastest U20 sprinter. He won the 100m dash in 9.93 seconds, making fans and athletes take notice. This also made him the youngest American under 10s.

From being the fastest high schooler to now competing on a grand stage, Miller has come a long way. Every race that he runs, he’s looking to close in on elite track and field icons. As he prepares to fight for a chance to be Paris-bound, Christian Miller has made it obvious that there’s more to come. Hayward Field is preparing for a thrilling round of semi-finals and finals. Will you be watching?