“I won’t be competing in Tokyo due to injury; however, resilience has always been part of my story. This is just another chapter,” wrote Aleia Hobbs on Instagram, announcing her absence from the Tokyo World Championships after an unforeseen injury. Hobbs was set to represent Team USA in the 100m after clocking an impressive 10.92s at the US trials, but fate had other plans. Her withdrawal opens the door for TeeTee Terry, who now steps into the third spot for the women’s 100m, alongside Sha’Carri Richardson. And with that comes an interesting twist…

All four sprinters selected for the 100m, including Richardson, train under the same mastermind: Dennis Mitchell. But it feels like this could be Mitchell’s toughest test yet. Why?

Mitchell is no small name in the world of track and field. For over a decade, he’s been shaping champions and guiding athletes to their peak. His resume boasts a golden 2016 Olympic relay triumph against multiple victorious World Relay squads and steering Sha’Carri Richardson through her sensational triple-medal run at the 2023 World Championships. In 2024, Mitchell masterminded a historic 1-2-3 team in the women’s 100m at the U.S. Olympic Trials with Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha “Tee Tee” Terry, while also coaching Kenny Bednarek to a silver in the men’s 200m. Now, Mitchell has added another accolade to his name.

With Richardson, Jefferson, Terry, and Kayla White all making the same team for the World Championships, he becomes the first coach to have four women from the same country competing in the 100m at a World Championship.

“The greatest sprinting coach in America right now,” remarked Track and Field influencer Erin Brown right after the news broke. Yet, this season tells a different story.

His star athlete, Sha’Carri Richardson, has been enduring a nightmare run in 2025. From sluggish times, 11.47s in Tokyo Seiko Golden Grand Prix (4th), 11.19s at Prefontaine Classics (9th), to a shocking withdrawal from the 100m semis at U.S. Nationals and failing to qualify in the 200m, it’s been a downward spiral. Plus, off the track, an alleged domestic dispute with Christian Coleman and a subsequent arrest only added fuel to the chaos. Yes, there were some light, though…

At the Brussels Diamond League, she achieved her first podium finish of the year by clocking 11.08 seconds and securing second place. But as a defending champion for the World Championship, her form has been questioned by fans. However, Richardson isn’t the only one struggling this season.

Twanisha Terry is facing a nightmare run of her own. After narrowly missing out on a World Championship spot by finishing fourth at the USATF Championships with a 10.94-second sprint, her hopes for redemption in the 200m were also crushed when she placed sixth in the heats at 22.84s. To make matters worse, her Prefontaine Classic performance was not that shining either. 11.17 seconds, 7th place! The only hope?

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kayla White.

Jefferson is on absolute fire this season. She kicked things off at the Kingston Grand Slam, storming to victory with 11.11s in the 100m and 23.46s in the 200m for a commanding double. Since then, she’s been unstoppable, scorching the track at the USATF Championships with a blistering 10.65s in the 100m (a new PB) and an electrifying 21.84s in the 200m (another PB). And her Diamond League performance? It has been dominant as well. She competed in Eugene, Chorzów, and Brussels, clocking 10.75, 10.66, and 10.76 seconds, respectively. What else?

She is the fastest woman this season. And then we have White, too.

At the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships, Kayla White ran 10.89 s in the heats, 10.92s in the semis, and set a personal best of 10.84 s in the final to finish second, earning a spot on Team USA for the World Championships in Tokyo.

Yet, we cannot ignore that Most of Dennis Mitchell’s star athletes are struggling to find their rhythm this year. Even Christian Coleman, who has joined the relay pool for the World Championship, has been facing some difficulties. Barring the Diamond League final, Coleman’s form has been far from impressive, drawing criticism for his underwhelming checks on the track.

Mitchell has weathered countless battles in his decades-long coaching career. He’s seen it all. Hailed as a world-class mastermind on the track, Mitchell’s name commands respect. But where there’s brilliance, controversy often lurks in the shadows.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s doping scandal casts a shadow on Dennis Mitchell’s Career

Dennis Mitchell commands respect as a top-tier track and field coach, but skepticism still lingers around him and his camp. The 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials fueled the fire when his star sprinter, Sha’Carri Richardson, tested positive for a banned substance, costing her a Tokyo spot and pulling Mitchell into the storm. Now, similar turbulence seems to be shadowing Twanisha Terry.

Terry has been clean throughout her life. However, since she is training under Mitchell, she has been subjected to doping allegations. While no officials have ever raised a finger at the athlete, the whispers are all over the internet. After her USATF performance, she couldn’t stop herself from calling them out.

“Everybody is going to have their opinions because it’s sports, and that’s fine. However, what y’all are not going to do is accuse me of using any type of substance. Injuries and stuff happen in sports,” she wrote on her X handle.

In another follow-up X post, she added, “Y’all, it’s one thing about ignoring comments, which I can do, but accusing somebody of doping is not cool at all. I’ve competed at all levels in this sport and know what it’s like to wait for my time.” For her, it’s a matter of respect, which is why she lashed out at all the criticism. With that, it’s also worth noting that Justin Gatlin parted ways with Dennis Mitchell when the coach became embroiled in a high-profile doping investigation back in 2017. Why?

After The Telegraph’s undercover probe caught Mitchell and agent Robert Wagner discussing performance-enhancing drugs, the 100m world champion swiftly cut ties with Mitchell. But now, years have passed since that incident. Plus, most of the controversies are based on allegations. Yet, do you think these adversities might affect the coach negatively?