Fastest teenager in the country finishes fifth at Olympic trials before making relay pool cut
Team USA takes the top three finishers in the 100-meter sprint as automatic qualifiers, but the Olympic dream is still alive and well for Christian Miller.
EUGENE, Ore. — The whirlwind it's been over the last two weeks for Christian Miller is over for now, but his Olympic dreams are still intact.
Miller, who recently graduated from Creekside High School and will be starting his college running career at the University of Georgia in the fall, just spent the last two weeks on both coasts of the United States.
He ran the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia last week, then flew to Eugene, Ore. for the track and field Olympic trials.
"I'm incredibly grateful to be out here," Miler told First Coast News after finishing fifth in the 100-meter finals.
He missed automatically qualifying to run an individual race in the Olympics by .10 seconds.
However, by finishing in the top six in the finals, Miller does qualify to be in the Team USA relay pool.
"I have an opportunity to run on the relay team against some of the world's best people," Miller said. "It's nothing but God bringing me to where he wants me to be."
Miller was running next to some massive names, some professionals. But, he says he wasn't thinking about it as he walked into the starting blocks Sunday night in Oregon.
"I was just trying to look down the lane and stay focused and just remember that it doesn't matter who's next to me, how many world championships they win or anything like that," he said. "I have to go out and run my race."
The head coach of Miller's club, 'The St. Johns Striders,' was texting First Coast News, On Your Side's Lewis Turner during his red eye flight back to Jacksonville from Oregon after Miller's trials ended.
"I hope you had your popcorn," he said, alluding to his interview done with First Coast News before the trials.
We'll watch and wait on what Team USA Track and Field decides about who will be running what stage of the relays in Paris.
As for the rest of the 100-meter race, Noah Lyles won with a time of 9.83 seconds.
Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley, with 9.87 and 9.88 seconds time respectively, rounded out the top three who automatically qualify for a spot.
Stanton College Preparatory School graduate and Florida State University sprinter Kendal Williams finished 8th in the race with a time of 10.04 seconds.