Track's next great sprinter is bypassing college and signing with Puma

Christian Miller was a high school senior last April when he became one of the fastest teenagers in track and field history.

Christian Miller was a high school senior last April when he became one of the fastest teenagers in track and field history. Running 9.93 seconds in the 100 meters one month before his 18th birthday left Miller wondering how much faster he could go. 

Now, he’ll have his opportunity to find out — as a professional.

Miller has signed a professional contract with Puma, he told NBC News, a decision that places him in the small club of track athletes who have bypassed the NCAA to turn pro straight out of high school. 

Miller will continue to train in Jacksonville, Fla., where he grew up, and focus on the 100 and 200 meters under Ricky Fields, his longtime coach. He will also take online classes on computer science, digital media and cinematography through Liberty University. 

Miller, who has since turned 18, is not yet a household name but that could change by 2028, when the Olympics return to Los Angeles. His fifth-place finish in the 100 at June’s U.S. Olympic track and field trials emboldened his confidence that he belonged with professionals, he said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/tracks-great-sprinter-bypassing-college-signing-puma-rcna175383

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