Coleman outruns childhood hero Gatlin to win 100
When Justin Gatlin won the gold in the 100meter race in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, an 8yearold boy with big dreams was watching on TV at home in Atlanta.
“I wanted to be just like him,” Christian Coleman said.
On Sunday, Coleman outran Gatlin and everybody else in the 100 at the Prefontaine Classic at Stanford.
The 23yearold former Tennessee athlete beat Gatlin in their first headtohead matchup since the 2017 world championships. Coleman won in 9.81 seconds, with Gatlin (9.87) taking second.
“For us to be teammates in 2016 at the Olympics was a cool moment that I’ll never forget,” Coleman said. “Three years later, we’re still butting heads. He’s one of my competitors — that’s a blessing in itself.”
Ivory Coast sprinter MarieJosee Ta Lou won the women’s 100 in 11.02, while twotime Olympic gold medalist ShellyAnn FraserPryce of Jamaica finished eighth.
Rai Benjamin won the men’s 400 hurdles in 47.16, the eighthfastest time in history and the fastest in the world this year. Among Americans, only sprint legends Kevin Young and Edwin Moses have ever run faster.
Benjamin, 21, won NCAA titles for both UCLA and, after transferring, USC. He was born in New York and has citizenship both in the U.S. and ntigua & Barbuda. Because of complicated international rules, the fact he represented the Caribbean nation in the 2013 World Youth Championships held up his eligibility to represent the U.S. until late last year.
“Right now my goal is to make the U.S. team and go to Doha (Qatar) this fall” for the world championships, Benjamin said. “Each week I’m running faster. This race is definitely a confidence booster.”
Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare beat Rio Olympics champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica in the 200 meters with a time of 22.05. Thompson was second (22.21) and Dina AsherSmith of Great Britain third (22.42).
World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya won the women’s 3,000meter steeplechase in 8:55.58, the fifth fastest time ever. Emma Coburn of the U.S. was second in 9:04.90 in a race that featured six of the world’s eight fastest ever.