60-Meter World Record is This Week's Performance of the Week Awards

Track and field fans voiced their choices in this week's DyeStat's Performance of the Week poll, while DyeStat's editors made their own selection.

Readers’ Choice: Christian Coleman

With 50.65 percent of the vote, Christian Coleman won our Readers’ Choice vote, beating Shelby Houlihan with her second-place tally of 15.58 percent.

Coleman had already shown great potential this season. Last month, in his season debut, he ran 6.37 for 60 meters at Clemson. That broke the world record of 6.39 seconds, but because the starting blocks did not meet IAAF record specifications, the mark did not count as a world record.

Competing in his first USATF Indoor Championships, Coleman left no doubt that he is the fastest indoor 60-meter sprinter of all-time. He won the final in 6.34 seconds. The 0.05 improvement on the old record is the largest improvement on the indoor 60-meter world record ever.

Watch Coleman's world record race on USATF.TV.

Additionally, Coleman became the second man to run under 6.40 seconds. Maurice Greene did so twice in 1998 and 2001, running the world record 6.39 seconds.

Editors’ Choice: Christian Coleman

Coleman is the only person for the Editors' Choice award this week, however, the competition for the top spot was close. Sharika Nelvis broke the American record in the 60-meter hurdles, running 7.70 seconds, and Katie Nageotte rocketed up the all-time list in the pole vault with a 16-1.25 (4.91m) clearance, a full six inches better than her previous personal best.

Despite those great performances, Coleman gets top honors this week. He started his weekend Saturday with a 6.46-second clocking in the first round. That was only 0.01 seconds off his personal best from the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships last year.

Watch Coleman's first-round race on USATF.TV.

Coleman upped the ante Sunday, running 6.42 seconds in the semifinals. However, Coleman still faced pressure to win his first USATF championship. Ronnie Baker, last year's USATF Indoor champion at 60 meters, ran 6.47 seconds in the first round and 6.45 seconds in the semifinals.

Watch Coleman's semifinal race on USATF.TV.

When the gun sounded in the final, it was Baker with the better start and the early lead. But as the race progressed, Coleman overtook him and eventually pulled away. Baker finished second in 6.40 seconds, the fastest second-place time ever.

Coleman put his arms up in celebration just before the finish line. The race was over and he had shattered the world record. An excited Coleman bounced off the padding and bounded back down the track, excited for his world record and first national title.