How do you measure greatness? By Olympic medals? The fastest times? Or the ability to stir up a storm with just a few words? Fred Kerley has done all three, but lately, it’s not just his speed making headlines but his words. A 100m bronze in Paris, a meet record in August, and a Diamond League podium last year should’ve kept the focus on his talent. Instead, the Internet had other plans. When an Olympic medalist took a shot at the sprinting elites, the online world erupted.

Kerley, who set a new meet record in the 100 meters last year at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, with a time of 9.87 seconds, posted on social media: “We are not the same. I ran 9.8 in just three months, and the next year, I hit 9.7. It took y’all an entire career to do what I did. And some of your favorites don’t even have an individual Olympic medal—but go ahead, try again.”

Kerly, who initially excelled in the 400m, shocked many by switching to the 100m. In 2021, within just three months of serious training, he ran 9.84 seconds in the Tokyo Olympics and won silver, and by 2022, he had lowered it to 9.7, securing his first World Championship gold. The dig came after Fred Kerley received a mysterious 4-second call from an Unknown Caller, which he posted on his Instagram story with the simple message: “Stop playing on my phone.”

Fred Kerley had thrown a match into dry grass, and the fire was spreading fast! Who was he addressing? Who had made the late-night call? And who, if anyone, would respond next? Stanley Grant Holloway, a decorated hurdler and a 110m Paris Olympics champion, engaged immediately. “Who you talking to?” he commented. Mondo Duplantis, a record-holding pole vaulter, offered a different response. “Let them know,” he wrote, acknowledging the conversation without specifying a side.

Marquis Dendy, 2016 World Indoor Champion in Long Jump, known for his presence on and off the track, posed a direct question. “Where is the @?” he asked. Fred Kerley has yet to disclose the name. But one thing is clear. The 3-time world champion isn’t mincing any words! In another story, Fred Kerley has made his plans for the 2025 season.

Fred Kerley offers a glimpse into his 2025 Mindset

Fred Kerley doesn’t need a lot of words to make a statement, just one. “Blessing.” That’s all the American sprinter wrote on X as he sets his sights on the 2025 season. And really, the timing of that message says a lot. Just months ago, Kerley found himself on the podium in Paris, Olympic bronze around his neck, clocking 9.81 seconds in the 100m final. It wasn’t the dream outcome—not when Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson were ahead of him—but it was another major medal in his collection. And now? He’s locked in for what’s next.

Kerley, whose journey has seen it all in the last three years and in 2023, was electric—winning the 100m at the Golden Grand Prix in Yokohama, dominating Rabat and Florence, and claiming the 200m title in Doha. But when it mattered most at the World Championships in Budapest, he stumbled, crashing out in the semifinals. He still left with a gold in the 4x100m relay, but that individual disappointment? It lingered.

Then came 2024. He started with a bang, setting a personal best of 6.55 seconds in the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. He made headlines with a bold declaration—he wanted to break Usain Bolt’s legendary 9.58-world record. But the year had its twists. A controversial start at the NYC Grand Prix saw him withdraw from the 100m, and he had to settle for third at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Still, he made it to Paris and walked away with a medal. After splitting with Asics, he rebounded in style, dropping a meet record of 9.87 seconds at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial.

Now, heading into 2025, Kerley has made it clear—no indoor races, only outdoor. Also, don’t be hating.