U18 World Record holder Christian Miller signs professional contract after forgoing NCAA eligibility

America's rising track and field star Christian Miller took a significant step in his career recently after signing a professional contract with the sports apparel giant Puma. Miller, the U18 world record holder and the American U20 record holder, has chosen to forgo his NCAA eligibility to turn professional.

In 2023, the 18-year-old caught the attention of the track and field community after winning the 100m and 200m titles at the USATF U20 championship. He ran an impressive 10.06 seconds in the 100m and clocked 20.51 seconds in the 200m event.

His 100m victory marked the fourth-fastest time in high school history and a new junior class record. Furthermore, this past April, Christian Miller broke Trayvon Brommell's American U20 100m record of 9.97 seconds after setting a new personal best of 9.93 seconds.

Following that, the young American sensation was among the few runners who bypassed their NCAA eligibility to turn professional just out of high school. In recognition of his track success, the German sports brand Puma recently signed him to a professional contract. Reflecting on the signing, Pascal Rolling, the Head of Sports Marketing at PUMA, stated (via Puma.com):

"Christian is without doubt the most exciting male sprint prospect we have seen in a long time, and he is already making history on the track by setting junior records. His performances are well beyond his years, and his decision to turn professional speaks volumes about his character. We are ecstatic to have him join the PUMA family."

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"The brand is synonymous with speed" - Christian Miller shares his thoughts on his contract signing with Puma

In a conversation with Puma.com, Christian Miller said that he wanted the best for himself and his athletic future. To achieve that, he said he needed to surround himself with the best in the business, and for him that brand is Puma.

"I want to be the best, and to be number one you have to surround yourself with the greatest in the game – for me that’s always been PUMA,” Miller said. "The brand is synonymous with speed and when you look at their roster of athletes, they're draped in gold. That’s what I’m aspiring to achieve and I'm excited to get the season underway."

Miller also told NBC that he aspires to become one of the most dominant figures in the track-running world, citing iconic names like Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo as his role models.