Major Upset as Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley Remain Defeated by GBR’s Zharnel Hughes at Jamaican Invitational

At the Jamaica Invitational, Olympic aspirants Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley were both left trailing in the dust as Britain’s Zharnel Hughes picked up a major win in the men’s 200m event. With the 2024 Olympics only 76 days away, the USA’s track and field stars are leaving no stone unturned with hopes of gold on the biggest stage. However, However, on May 11 at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, the USA’s ambitions were dealt a heavy blow.

Kerley and Coleman are currently two of the fastest men in Team USA. Along with Noah Lyles, a lot of the country’s dreams of bringing gold from Paris rests with those two. But in Jamaica, it was the Brit sprinter, Hughes who picked up a resounding win in the event with 19.96 on the clock. Fred Kerley finished second (20.17). For Coleman, however, things looked much more concerning.

He crossed the finish line in a disappointing fifth place (20.46). Only last month, Coleman made bold statements about breaking Usain Bolt’s records after winning the men’s 100m race at the Diamond League, where he also edged past Kerley. As luck would have it, he got a reality check in Jamaica itself!

Also at the Miramar Invitational this season, Coleman narrowly missed the win by a thin 0.08-second mark with Florida’s Kenny Bednarek taking the lead. Only a few days ago fans saw Kenny Bednarek and other American athletes dominate in the 200-meter race at the Doha Diamond League. But it was a different story in Jamaica.

With the latest setback Team USA will have to get back to the drawing board and re-evaluate its strategies for the upcoming Olympics.

On the other hand, Zharnel Hughes must be craving to go all out in Paris after his misfortune on the past two occasions. The 4-time European champion Hughes faced two setbacks in the previous two Olympics in 2016 and 2020. In Rio, he missed out because of a ligament injury. In Tokyo, he false started in the 100m final ending his chances for another four years. But according to Hughes, “That in itself has helped me to become the athlete I am today…some of the times, the timing isn’t your timing and you just have to learn to trust your process and know that your deal will come one day.” That belief in the process just created serious threat for his American rivals.

Elsewhere, there was more elation for Britain and misery for the US in the women’s 200m. Dina Asher-Smith, clocked 22.51, pipping Ivory Coast’s Jessika Gbai in second and Jamaica’s Lanae-Tava Thomas in third. U.S sprinter Naasha Robinson finished in the 7th spot.

In the men’s 100 m Jamaica’s Julian Forte clinched victory with a time of 10.02 seconds, the same time awarded to World Indoor bronze medalist Akeem Blake, with US sprinter Brandon Hickling finishing third in 10.09 seconds. Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith of Ivory Coast triumphed in the women’s 100m with a season-best 10.91 seconds while Jamaica’s Krystal Sloley finished second with 11.09 seconds and her compatriot Kemba Nelson took third place with a season-best 11.12 seconds. Interestingly, the women’s 100 m champion Sha’Carri Richardson was in the stands soaking in the action.

Both Kerley and Coleman have been working hard to up their games over the past months. Now that the Olympics are almost knocking on the doors, the latest result seems like a serious misstep on the way to Paris. However, considering how well things have turned out for the two sprinters in recent times, they just might be able to overcome the difficult time when it will really matter.

Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman working tediously toward their goals

Fred Kerley has been training meticulously with hopes of transcending onto newer pastures. The 100m runner has been gearing up to prove his worth in the 60m dash since December, last year, and at February’s New Balance Indoor Championships, Kerley managed an impressive 6.57 in the event. Then again in March, he won first place at the Hurricane Invitational, showcasing his determination to end his Olympic career on a high note. If that wasn’t all, the 29-year-old placed second at last month’s Wanda Diamond League in China in the men’s 100m event.

On the other hand, Coleman won first place in the same event. After his victory, Coleman sent out a message to Usain Bolt, claiming that the Jamaican might have to hand over his fastest man alive title sooner than expected. While his statement faced a significant backlash from track and field fans, Coleman maintained his prediction would ring true eventually, especially with the newer generation of sprinters.

However, now that both Coleman and Kerley suffered a major loss, it waits to be revealed if the 2024 Olympics turns out to be a better prospect for America’s speedster duo.