Fred Kerley, who proved his mettle at the 100m race at the Paris Olympics, was somehow the underdog amidst the hype surrounding Noah Lyles and the Jamaicans. However, the 10th fastest 400m sprinter in history once again proved his consistency, winning the 100m bronze inside Stade de France. So when Kerley raised an issue with the 100m raking system, the fans took notice.

“60(m) indoor should not count for 100m outdoors ranking,” the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist wrote on X. While it’s a simple statement, the 29-year-old’s remark made quite the splash on the online track and field community. Several fans joined their voices with the Olympian in agreement. Some fans even went so far as to nearly dismiss indoor events in their entirety.

“Indoor championships in TF (track and field) are similar to All-Star games in NBA, almost meaning nothing & just for fun.” the fan commented on Fred Kerley’s X post. However, the fan also felt obliged to back up his statement on the indoor events. “(Christian) Coleman is 2 times 60m champion and the record holder, but he even cannot make the U.S. 100m team,” argued the fan.

Christian Coleman, a three-time world champion, is officially the sixth fastest 100m sprinter in history and holds the 60m indoor world record. Despite his impressive credentials, he has faced challenges in replicating that success at the Olympics and World Championships in recent years. Notably, he missed out on making the U.S. Olympic 100m track and field team and was defeated by Letsile Tebogo at the Rome Diamond League. Despite taking the lead early on, “just didn’t happen,” said Coleman.

As of September 17, 2024, Noah Lyles leads the World Athletics 100m rankings with 1,466 points. Fred Kerley is ranked #3, and Christian Coleman holds the #4 spot. It’s worth noting that both Lyles and Coleman’s rankings reflect their performances in the 60m World Indoor Championships, which impact their overall standing.

The rules say athletes earn scores and rankings according to a particular ‘Event Group’. The 100m event group contains the 50m, 55m, and 60m, as they are ‘similar events’ under the 100m ‘main event’. Hence, all the 60m indoor times also factor into the final scores. However, not everyone, including Fred Kerley’s fans, agrees with his scoring system.

Track and field fans add to Fred Kerley’s complaint

“Facts champ,” wrote one fan who wholeheartedly agreed with the two-time Olympic bronze medalist. While the individual didn’t have much to add, others had a lot to say. “No indoor events should count to outdoor rankings, full stop,” wrote one netizen. However, they also highlighted how the rating system causes similar issues with other event groups as well.

“And don’t even get me started on mixed 10km road race and cross-country counting for 10,000m ranking,” complained the fan. Highlighting how he didn’t agree cross-country and standard 10,000m races falling in the same group. Another X-user wrote a very similar comment. “I agree. But let me add this one in while we’re on the topic: I should not need to read the term ‘cross-country’ when trying to understand the 10,000m qualifying process in track season,” the fan commented.

What these fans are trying to point out is the fundamental difference between these so-called “similar events.” Let’s circle back to the 100m outdoor and 60m indoor races for comparison. Besides the obvious 40m difference in track length, indoor events do not have several variables. Gabby Thomas ran the 4x400m relay inside Stade de France in pouring rain, while Fred Kerley ran the 100m in clear weather.

However, indoor events do not have these weather variables. Wind speed is another factor that can either aid or hinder athletes during outdoor events. When comparing cross country to the Olympic 10k marathon, even the terrain differs vastly. While these may not seem like huge differences on their own, together they significantly alter the conditions each athlete has to face.

Hence, Fred Kerley and his fans agreed against this ranking system rule. However, a few thought that 60m sprints should be added to the Olympics to legitimize their inclusion into the ranking system. “60m Indoor should be added to (the) Olympic Games. It’s a race like others. Let’s vote for it,” commented the X-user. Yet, what camp do you fall into? Do you agree with Fred Kerley or the World Athletics ranking system? Let us know in the comments.