Who is Maurice Gleaton? All about the 18-year-old who defeated Christian Coleman with a dominant 100m performance

Modified Jun 15, 2025 01:41 GMT

Maurice Gleaton, a senior at Langston Hughes High School, has had a standout final high school track season. On Saturday, June 14, at the Star Athletics Sprint Series, the 18-year-old defeated world champion Christian Coleman in the 100m. Gleaton, whose previous best was 10.25s, clocked an incredible 9.82s, while Coleman finished at 9.93s.

Gleaton first broke the Georgia state 100m record as a sophomore with a 10.14s finish and continued to improve consistently. At the Region 3- 5A meet last month, he became the first high school athlete in Georgia to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters, running 9.98 seconds. This broke the previous state record of 10.16 seconds held by Christian Coleman and D’Angelo Cherry.

“That sophomore year, I was just wanting to get better,” Gleaton said. “I was dedicated to the sport, training and working to get better and better every year,” Maurice Gleaton said(via AJC Sports)

At the Bob Hayes Invitational, the youngster ran 10.01 seconds in the 100m, the fastest time in the U.S. this year, and also won the 200m, clocking 20.64 seconds, which remains a school record. Notably, it was Georgia’s fastest time last season. Additionally, he anchored Langston Hughes' 4×100 relay team to a 40.39-second finish at the MTFXCCGA Invitational, the fastest relay time in the nation this year.

Maurice Gleaton opens up about his Olympic dreams

Maurice Gleaton hails from Fairburn, and based on his current form and recent performances, he is widely noted as a future Olympic contender. In an interview with AJC Sports, Gleaton spoke about his aspirations.

“I’m going to continue competing with other great athletes, continue to get better, then go pro and hopefully go to the Olympics. “I don’t like losing. I like to be better every time I race. There’s never a perfect race, and that’s a big thing for me. With the competition that’s out there, I always like to improve," he said.

His track coach, Roland Colvin, who took over the program when Gleaton was a freshman, added:

“He’s always had that work ethic in him, but sophomore year is when he really started showing it. He’s said it in interviews before; he wants to be the best sprinter to come through Georgia, and he just keeps working. It’s hard for him to rest because he just wants to keep going. We don’t have to push him; it’s, ‘Coach, what do we have today? Let’s go. He’s always ready.”

Langston Hughes High School sprinter Gleaton will join the University of Georgia’s track team on a full scholarship in next academic year.

About the author

I'm Amitha Reji George, a journalism graduate who enjoys covering women’s sports and US Olympics. I hope to contribute to sports journalism by helping readers connect with their favorite athletes through their performances on the track and the stories that define them beyond it.

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