Christian Coleman

You have to have that dog-eat-dog kind of mentality. I think me playing football all my life and having that chip on my shoulder, not really getting the opportunities that I wanted, really carried over to track and field. It allowed me to use all that energy and put it in the direction of being the best track athlete that I could be.

I don't know anybody that is like super close friends but also competing for the same medal. That would be kinda odd.

What we get paid to do is peak at the world championships and Olympics.

To be looked up to as one of the Americans that's supposed to carry the torch, go to the major championships and get medals, that's a huge honour.

It means a lot to be considered the fastest in the United States.

I just treat every race the same.

In track and field, a lot of people don't make a lot of money, so if you're a lower name you might just get run over by USADA because they're just looking to get people out of the sport.

This is something nobody can take away from me. I'm a world champion. That's a crazy feeling.

I won't say I'm the new Usain Bolt, I'm the new Christian Coleman.

I feel like I'm just built differently.

The sky's the limit as fast as I can ever run.

People sometimes have a false view of track and field, that it's kind of soft and kind of friendly. And guys aren't necessarily laughing and joking, but everyone's just friendly and 'ha ha, he he.' I just came in and just was like, 'Nah, I don't know what y'all talking about, but every single time I step on the line, I'm trying to win.'

I have a lot to prove. Not only to other people, but to myself, that I'm the best in the world.

Before, when Bolt was in the race, it was about who's going to get second. You just come and want to watch Bolt run, it's always exciting because you know he always puts on a show.

In perfect conditions, with a championship mindset and ready to peak, anything is possible.

Track is my passion. I started playing at 4.

You shoot as high as you can but if you don't end up there you can still end up accomplishing something great.

I think my first World Championships, I handled it well. My goal, just like any other meet, was to come out and win.

When you set a time and you hit that time, you are kind of satisfied. I never want to have that type of feeling.

Me being a shorter guy, I am pretty quick out of the blocks and can get up to top speed maybe a little faster than some guys.

Coming into the offseason, when I'm training, when things get hard, I know there's guys that are across the country, training and trying to be the best in the country and trying to be the best in the world. So that just motivates me to just keep going and keep working.

I wouldn't know who Michael Johnson was if he didn't run fast times.

A lot of people don't realise how competitive college sprinting is.

I've always been a little kid compared to the guys I've competed against in terms of body development. I've always looked a lot younger, so naturally my body got a bit bigger and stronger. I combined that with a good work ethic, good mindset and focus.

Coming from the south side of Atlanta, Georgia, everyone has a chip on their shoulder. That's how competitive it is. It makes athletes great who come from there.

My whole life I have just ran track and I have just continued and taken it to the next level.

My message to fans... I'm running clean.

Obviously my strong suit is the 100 so that is what my main focus is on.

My weakness might be that the guys with the longer legs can hold their top speed a little bit longer and might not slow down as fast at the end of the race.

I never really set any time goals. I think that puts a limit on yourself.

People turn professional and they are not running as fast as they did in college because it is a lot different, but I wanted to make sure that I didn't have that kind of transition and always stayed on top.

I think I have just as much talent as anybody when it comes to the 100 or 200.

At one time I was one of those guys looking at the guys on the top saying 'I want to be like that.'

That's always my mentality. There's always room for improvement.

My focus is to win.

I just go out there and try to compete to the best of my abilities.

I'm just a regular guy who had talent and the wherewithal to be able to hone that into something I can make money doing.

Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin... to have my name up there with those types of guys is a blessing and a humbling feeling.

I've been blessed with a lot of talent, and if I just continue to work hard, then I think my name will be up there with some of the best.

I want to leave my own legacy, make my own trail.

I have that mindset going into anything I do, there's always room to improve, you can always do better.

There's always stuff you can improve on. Even when you do something right you can always try to go out and do something better and improve.

I feel I'm a really good competitor.

When I look back at my career, I want to say I accomplished certain things and ran certain times.

I don't want to be Usain Bolt.

I don't want to be anybody else. I want to be the best version of Christian Coleman that I can.

The thing you're working so hard for are milliseconds. Saving a 10th of a second from 9.82 to 9.72 is huge. There are a lot of things I can fix from my technique standpoint and making sure I hold my form at the end of the race, to not slow down as much as I usually do.

Even at recess, in elementary school, it was just a known thing that I was one of the fastest in the school.

Michael Johnson doesn't pay my bills or sign my cheques. So I don't really care what he has to say.

I have a lot of confidence in myself that I can be one of the best.