With confidence, he said, “My name is Fred Kerley, and this is my title.” The Paris Olympics were just before this audacious declaration. The 100 meters—the competition for the title of “Fastest Man in the World”—has been a little drab lately, with new faces and a somber atmosphere taking center stage since Usain Bolt exited the men’s sprinting scene. But when two of the quickest sprinters in the country, Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley, rose to prominence, everything changed. What would have been an ordinary pre-Olympic news cycle became an exciting one as their boisterous banter restored much-needed interest to the sport.
Ultimately, Lyles won the gold medal in the 100-meter event, narrowly defeating Kerley, who had to settle for bronze for the second Olympics in a row. It is difficult to ignore their rivalry: Lyles added the 100m to his repertoire and won the championship at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023, while Kerley won the world title in 2022 on his home field of Eugene, Oregon. Track and field veteran Fred Kerley seems to be setting himself up to be a genuine candidate for Lyles now that he has a new outlook and a revitalized sense of purpose.
The newest edition of the Ready Set Go podcast featured a discussion about the future of track and field sports for the next season by Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green. Emphasizing his happiness with Fred Kerley’s demeanor and play this season, Gatlin voiced his wish that Kerley would become the sport’s face. With a brazen declaration, “Fred’s a hound,” the former Olympian champion expressed his admiration for Kerley’s passion of competition.
Gatlin continued to explain his belief that Kerley will succeed, citing an extraordinary attitude as the reason for his possible achievement. “Fred will be joining me… He provided a clear explanation, describing his plan to race the 400 meters this year and be among the top 400-meter runners.
“So if he stays to the 100 meters, watching how he developed this season with the lack of traditional preparation that he had, like, he going to be a monster,” said Gatlin, praising Kerley’s capacity for adaptation and performance under pressure. Gatlin also out that Kerley finished the season with an amazing time of 9.81 seconds, which he attained by using his regular conditioning rather than intensive speed training.
Gatlin said that Kerley might win all of the sprint events, even though he understood that Noah Lyles might concentrate on winning the 200-meter race again the next season. Gatlin said, “And him with a faulty race—even he admitted it—he had a flawed race,” suggesting that despite disappointments, the World Championship battle is expected to be fierce.He said, “I do not think there is going to be a clear favorite as of right now,” paving the way for an entertaining track and field season. But everyone is aware of their rivalry, both on and off the track.
