Former Tennessee star sprinter Christian Coleman has found a path to the 2024 Paris Olympics after all.
On Wednesday, Coleman was chosen as a member of the United States track and field 4x100-meter relay team and will have an opportunity for a gold medal.
The 28-year-old Coleman came into the U.S. Olympic trials in late June as a medal favorite in the 100 meters. But he missed the final qualifying spot when he finished in fourth place, missing by 0.05. Coleman had an opportunity again to make the team in his secondary event, the 200. However, Coleman again finished fourth.
But now Coleman, a six-time NCAA champion for the Vols from 2014-17, will run a leg on the elite American relay team.
This will be Coleman's second Olympics appearance as he vies for his first medal.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he ran on the relay team in the heat round only. The U.S. did not medal.
Coleman was viewed in 2020 as the successor to world champion Usain Bolt.
However, Coleman was banned from the Tokyo Olympics after missing numerous drug tests. He has never tested positive, but he broke anti-doping rules by missing three no-notice attempts to take samples from him in a one-year period.
Coleman's comeback started in March when he won the 60, upsetting Lyles at the World Indoor championships in Glasgow, Scotland. It marked six years after winning the same title in his first professional indoor season. In 2019, he won the 100 in the outdoor championships.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee sprinter Christian Coleman gets gold medal shot as late addition to Olympic team
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