Why Fred Kerley is unfazed by threat of Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and Co ahead of upcoming Paris Olympic games

Why Fred Kerley is unfazed by threat of Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and Co ahead of upcoming Paris Olympic games

Mark Kinyanjui 18:45 - 08.07.2024

Kerley has explained why fellow sprinters including Bednarek and Lyles -who beat him in the USATF trials - do not worry him as Olympics showdown draws closer.

American sprint star Fred Kerley has sent a powerful message to his competitors, declaring his unwavering determination to clinch gold in the 100m at the Paris Olympic Games this August.

Despite a tumultuous season, Kerley has secured his place in the 100m event and is set on bringing home the gold for the U.S., a feat not achieved since 2004.

 His season has seen significant challenges, including a highly publicized split with his spikes supplier Asics after being seen wearing Nike spikes at a meet. This change coincided with unexpectedly poor performances in the Suzhou and Xiamen Diamond League events.

However, Kerley managed to qualify third in the USATF trials behind Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek. Lyles won the race with a time of 9.82, while Bednarek and Kerley finished second and third with times of 9.87 and 9.88, respectively.

Qualifying as the best loser places him as an underdog, but Kerley dismisses any doubts about his potential. “To tell you the truth, I am not sizing up nobody because I believe I am the best, as simple as that,” Kerley told Citius Mag.

The 2020 Olympic silver medallist added: “I am trying to duplicate 9.7 or faster. I think I took a year off track and field, and I am barely getting back around to my old self. It is a clean slate now. 

“The coaches know what I need and what I have been missing for the larger part of the season, so it is all about getting everything correct and getting back into 100m shape to get where I want.”

Kerley, who participated in many 60m races earlier in the season, has been focusing on improving his start, a significant challenge throughout his sprinting career. 

“It is all about getting all the finer details back for the bigger picture. I feel my top end is coming up. I was doing 60s indoors to get me where I am going, but at the end of the day, being from a strength background for the 400, the top end is easy for me, but the front end is what I need to work on.”

Reflecting on his performance during the trials, Kerley believes he made a strategic mistake by dipping too early, which cost him the victory. 

“If I would never have started leaning over (early), I would have won that race. I started leaning over and dipping too early. 

“The coach saw that and he told me after the race, back to the drawing board. 0.0. I would never lean no more. I am trying to run through the line. The lean is not what we trained for, it is running through the line. I do not do that in training; I should not do that in a track meet.”

With a renewed focus and determination, Fred Kerley is ready to prove himself on the grandest stage, aiming for nothing less than gold at the Paris Olympics.

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