JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Christian Miller won’t be headed to the Paris Olympics after all.
Thought to be a near-lock for the 4x100 relay pool after his sterling showing at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last month, Miller’s coach with the St. Johns Striders, Ricky Fields shared the disappointing news late Sunday night.
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In a post on X, Fields said: “Very disappointed in USATF @usatf by leaving Christian Miller off the 4x100 relay pool stating he didn’t have experience running 4x100 with pros and didn’t run in World relays which is limited to pros.”
Very disappointed in USATF @usatf by leaving Christian Miller off the 4x100 relay pool stating he didn’t have experience running 4x100 with pros and didn’t run in World relays which is limited to pros. @wjxt4 @flrunners @NBCSports @milesplit
— Coach Ricky Fields (@rickyfields) July 1, 2024
After Miller was named the Gatorade boys track and field athlete of the year Thursday, Fields said that he felt relatively confident that Miller would go to Paris in the 4x100 relay pool. Miller finished fifth in the 100 with a 9.98. He was behind Noah Lyles (9.83), Kenny Bednarek (9.87), Fred Kerley (9.88) and Christian Coleman (9.93) finished ahead of Miller.
Unlike in swimming where times from the Trials determine who goes onto the relay events, track allows coaches to select the actual athletes.
The discretionary criteria lists six things that coaches look for in determining who is in the relay pool — the ability to pass and receive the baton with either hand; ability to run the turn and/or straight leg; availability and willingness to attend relay camps or practices; times run in the relay distances; relay experience in the World Championships, World Relays, Pan Am Games and Olympics; and onsite fitness.
USATF hasn’t revealed the relay pool yet, but it’s very likely that athletes like Coleman, Courtney Lindsey, Pjai Austin, Kyree King and Stanton College Prep grad Kendal Williams could make it. King and Austin didn’t make it past the 100 semis at Trials. Lindsey was sixth and Williams was eighth in the 100 final.
Those athletes, along with Bednarek and Lyles, were in the relay pool for the World Relays Bahamas 24. The foursome of Lyles, Lindsey, Bednark and King turned a world-leading time of 37.4 to win that event.