“I Feel Bad for Christian (Coleman)”: Noah Lyles’ Coach Brauman on Track and Field Star Missing Paris Olympics Spot

Right now, Christian Coleman’s world has turned upside down after the disappointing loss in the Olympic Trials on 23rd June. Considered among the biggest rivals of Noah Lyles, he couldn’t secure second place, where Noah Lyles finished first, nor even third place, but fourth clocking at 9.93 seconds for the Paris Olympics, where only the top three positions can secure a spot.

The world is currently buzzing with this shock, as fans say, “Christian Coleman just faded,” accompanied by a sad emoji. But it’s disheartening news for all, even for Noah Lyles’s coach as well. Lyles once again showed his dominance as the fastest man in America, blazing to victory with a time of 9.83 seconds. Second-place Kenny Bednarek clocked in at 9.87 seconds, and third-place finisher Fred Kerley clocked in at 9.88 seconds.

While Noah Lyles’ victory undoubtedly brought a sense of pride to his coach, Lance Brauman, there was still a tinge of sadness as the coach empathized with Christian Coleman’s disappointment. Today, on June 22nd, Citius Mag shared a post on X, featuring an interview with Lyles’ coach, Lance Brauman.

In the interview, Brauman shared his thoughts on the Men’s 100m Dash Final at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where Lyles achieved a personal best of 9.83 seconds. Brauman appreciated all the athletes’ performances, stating, “I thought they ran well.” However, he gave special credit to Fred Kerley.

“I was impressed with Fred; I thought he did a good job of digging himself out of a little bit of a hole that he was in earlier in the year.” Looking at Kerley’s season before the trials, he was not able to run below 10 seconds. For instance, his latest performance before the Olympic trials was at the Yangtze Delta Athletics Diamond Gala on April 27th, where he clocked 10.11 seconds.

The coach further appreciated Kenny Bednarek, stating, “Kenny, I thought Kenny was going to run fast coming into the meet. I mean, he’s been looking good.” Kenny demonstrated his skills by achieving victories like his outstanding performance, at the Kip Keino Classic held on April 20, 2024, where he recorded a remarkable time of 9.91 seconds. He was performing well. Lyles’s coach had hoped for him to be better. However, until this point, everything seemed to be perfect.

Coach Lance Brauman further stated, “I feel bad for Christian because he’s a very, very talented individual and he deserves to be on there too, but there are only three spots, so you know, you just have to feel bad for him at the end of the day.“ Despite his 9.76 personal best made in 2019 and his aim to break Usain Bolt’s 100m record of 9.58 in Paris, it now seems unlikely. However, Christian Coleman’s season up until now has been great and was seen as the competitor of Lyles.

Didn’t Christian Coleman deserve a spot in Paris?

Christian Coleman clinched a gold medal at the Xiamen Diamond League this year. Outpaced Noah Lyles at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, claiming victory in the men’s 60m event with a time of 6.41 seconds. He later triumphed in the 100m race at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic, in Eugene, Oregon on May 25th finishing with a time of 9.95 seconds surpassing Ferdinand Omanyalas’s time of 9.98 seconds.

This win marked a comeback for Christian Coleman after facing setbacks in Suzhou and a fifth-place finish in the 200m race at the Jamaica Invitational. Even in the 200m at the Miramar Invitational on April 6th, 2024, he won with a time of 20.43 seconds. Coleman’s season-best for this year is 9.86 seconds in the 100 meters, achieved with a +1.5 wind at Hayward Field, Eugene, OR, on June 23, 2024.

But do you think he deserved a place in Paris? Considering his achievements, he was a strong contender, but perhaps time is not in his favor. What are your thoughts on this? Comment below and let us know!