WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Christian Coleman and Sha’Carri Richardson will battle to stake their claims as the king and queen of American track in Eugene, Oregon this week, as the 100 metres specialists headline the U.S. championships.
The top three finishers in the meeting who meet certain qualifying standards and reigning global title-holders advance to the first world championships ever held in the United States at the same Oregon track starting on July 15.
Returning world champion Coleman, who came back to action in January after serving an 18-month suspension for breaching anti-doping whereabouts rules, said he was “the same guy” he was when he grabbed the 2019 global title in 9.76 seconds.
“I feel like it’s there,” Coleman told reporters after winning last week’s NYC Grand Prix 100m in 9.92.
“When you have a long layoff, obviously it’s going to affect you in some kind of way, so this whole season to me is a learning experience.”