Christian Coleman on Friday showed that he is the heir apparent to the Athletics throne, racing to a breathtaking time of 6.37s to win the men’s 60m and set a new Indoor World Record (iWR) at the Clemson Invitational meet.
It was an impeccable feat by Coleman who was competing in his first race in 2018, continuing in the remarkable form that saw him win Silver in the men’s 100m at the 2017 World Championships in London.
WORLD RECORD!! 6.37s. Great start to my career. Thank You God🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/fUZQEpuPgw
— Christian Coleman (@__coleman) January 20, 2018
Coleman was mecurial in the race, bolting away from the chasing pack and securing the win. The gap was such that Tevin Hester who was 2nd posted a time of 6.57s, with Warren Fraser finishing 3rd in 6.69s.
Maurice Greene held the previous iWR of 6.39s which he ran twice, first in Madrid in 1998, and matching it three years later at the USA Championships.
Last year, Coleman won the NCAA indoor 60m title with a then Personal Best of 6.45s. While competing on Friday, he looked like he would be content with matching that PB when he won his heat in 6.47s.
However he had more up his sleeves as he came back to run the fastest time ever in that distance and surpass his compatriot, Greene. No doubt he would be the favourite for the 60m title when he competes at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Prior to winning Silver in London, Coleman ran the fastest outdoor 100m race in 2017 with a time of 9.82s. Going his recent form and considering that he’s still 21, who knows he could come close to Usain Bolt’s all time record of 9.58s. Although it looks like a tall order, but don’t underestimate Coleman.
