18-year-old Christian Miller among the top prospects to be a part of U.S. Men's 4x100m relay team at Paris Olympics

Christian Miller has proven to be a right fit for a slot on the men’s 4x100m relay team at the 2024 Paris Olympics following his spectacular run at the USA Track and Field Olympic trials. The 18-year-old finished an impressive fifth, clocking 9.98 seconds in the men’s 100m final.

The race was won by triple world champion Noah Lyles with 9.83s with Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley finishing second and third with 9.87 and 9.88, respectively. Christian Coleman missed out on a podium finish, finishing fourth in 9.93 seconds.

Christian Miller had a great start in his Olympic campaign, where he advanced to the semifinal in the Trials after clocking 10.22. He clocked 9.94 in the semifinal to make the cut to the final where he has now finished fifth.

Despite missing out on an individual slot in the Olympic Games, Christian Miller has a chance to represent the US in the relay team.

According to the USA track and field guidelines, three of the five competitors for each relay team must be athletes who are entered in their corresponding individual events. In this case, Lyles, Bednarek and Kerley have automatically qualified for the relay team.

The other two selections are made at the discretion of the USATF committee and they can be chosen whether to compete in the individual event or not.

However, with the progress Miller has shown so far, he should be among the top contenders for selection in the team. He set a world-leading time of 9.93 at the Pure Athletics Elite Invitational Meet before Oblique Seville took over with the 9.82 he ran at the Racers Grand Prix in Jamaica. Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is currently the world leader, with the 9.79 he ran at the Kenyan Olympic trials.

Miller was also unbeaten in the 100m before the US Olympic trials where he was handed his first defeat in the men’s 100m. His focus now shifts to the 200m where he hopes to execute a good run and hopefully make his first individual spot on the team headed to Paris.

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Christian Miller opens up on drawing inspiration from triple world champion Noah Lyles

Teenage sprint sensation Christian Miller has opened up about how Noah Lyles inspires him to be a great athlete. After setting a stunning 9.93 at the PURE Athletics Elite Invitational earlier, the 18-year-old admitted that watching the likes of Lyles motivates him to do better.

Christian Miller opens up on drawing inspiration from Noah Lyles (Images: via Getty and instagram.com/c_millly)

In an interview, he admitted that growing up, he used to follow the fastest man in the 100m and 200m - Usain Bolt - and always wanted to be like him. At the moment, Miller noted that he watches the likes of the three-time World 200m champion, as well as the World Indoor 60m champion Coleman (via RoriDunk on X):

"I used to look at Usain Bolt a lot because he was a very huge inspiration and recently I look up to a lot of greats like Noah Lyles, Christian Coleman, Letsile Tebogo, and Erryon Knighton. I look up to a lot of great athletes and most of them not from America because they produce great times and shine all around the world."

After opening his season at the Pepsi Florida Relays on March 29 and winning the race in 10.14s, Christian Miller has been unstoppable as he chases his ticket to Paris.

He has been in great form with his majestic performances so far and as the Olympics beckon, Christian Miller will be hoping to be included as an individual competitor on the US contingent .