BUDAPEST, HUNGARY: American sprinter Cravont Charleston is aiming for success when competing in Budapest against the finest in the world.
The 25-year-old, who was competing in the USA Track and Field Championships 2023 without a shoe sponsor, shocked the favorites by winning the 100-meter race in 9.95 and earning a spot in the World Athletics Championships in August.
The highly anticipated World Athletics Championships in Budapest will take place from August 19 to August 27, 2023.
Who is Cravont Charleston?
Cravont Charleston is an American track and field athlete who competes as a sprinter. He was born on January 2, 1998, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended Mallard Creek High School and North Carolina State University.
In 2023, he became the US national champion in 100 meters, beating former world champions Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles in Eugene, Oregon.
His personal best of 9.90 seconds was attained in June during the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland, just one year after he initially broke the 10-second barrier at the Geneva International Meeting, as per the Olympics.
He is now selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
He is the first US 100m champion without a footwear sponsor since 2012, as per Guardian.
Why doesn't Cravont Charleston have a shoe sponsor?
Charleston is the first US 100m champion without a footwear sponsor since 2012 when Justin Gatlin won the title.
Nike and Adidas have sponsored 19 of the most recent 22 US men's champions in the event.
The sprinter is now supported by Tracksmith's Amateur Support program, which has assisted him with equipment, race costs, and travel expenses, but he is waiting for a proper sponsorship contract, even if it means waiting until after the world tournaments, as per The Guardian.
"I’m looking for someone who I can be comfortable with," he stated. "Issues come up where it’s hard to be yourself. They’re not helping you progress in your career. It’s not all about money. I want to be where I fit best."
Can Cravont Charleston become the world champion?
Charleston will compete in Budapest against the current world champion, Fred Kerley, as well as Lyles, Coleman, and the rest of the fastest men in the world.
Kerley, who will represent Team USA, did not run the 100 meters in Eugene since he received an automatic entrance following his victory in last year's final.
The US champion went on to win the title in the previous three world championships. Gatlin took the title in 2017, Coleman in 2019, and Kerley in 2022. Charleston thinks he'll be happy just to make the top three, but he'd like to win all of it. "I have big shoes to fill," Charleston stated.
