BASED ON ANY bird’s-eye survey, the sight of Cravont Charleston closing like a freight train late in the race to pip Christian Coleman by a 100th for the USATF 100 title was unexpected. Yet that’s not exactly how ’21 NC State grad Charleston and coach Allen Johnson saw it.
“Everything I expected?” ponders Johnson, the 4-time 110H world champ and ’96 Olympic winner who now heads up the North Carolina A&T program. “Timewise, yeah. I mean, he showed that he was capable of this 2 years ago, his senior year in college, but he got injured.”
Eight days after his 9.96 USATF win, Charleston, 25, showed well in the tightly contested Chorzów DL dash, further affirming Johnson’s assessment.
While a Wolfpack assistant, Johnson coached Charleston throughout college and felt sure the young man had what it takes.
As a Mall Creek High (Charlotte, North Carolina) senior in ’16 Charleston says, “I ran 10.38 one time at my senior State Meet. Before that, I ran 10.47 in my junior year, but I’m also known in my high school for having the biggest drop-off time in history. I ran 12.84 my freshman year and then came back my sophomore year in 10.78.”
Charleston recalls that when he came under Johnson’s tutelage in Raleigh for the ’17 season, “We had a conversation. He sat me down and said, ‘If you really want to do this, you have to pay attention, focus and keep training hard.’
“And at that time I ran 10.3, then I continued progressing. I ran 10.07 [windy] at the ACC meet.”
Charleston, not everyone will remember, doubled with 3rd-place 100/200 finishes at that year’s USATF Junior (U20) Champs.
“Then I kind of knew if I do what [Johnson] wants, I know I can continue to run fast times. But [Johnson] always has been my support. That’s so important, having a good support system. I mean, having somebody who believes in you from the get-go regardless of where you came from.
“Cuz I came from nothing, and just having him in my corner meant a lot. Having a gold medalist in my corner meant a lot to me.”
Though rare, sudden breakthroughs in the sprints happen. Think Fred Kerley coming from a 10.49 century best before the last Olympic season to 9.84 and a silver medal in Tokyo. Yet Kerley’s career may be characterized as a road less traveled. He had burned a then-Collegiate…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at Track & Field News…