Fred Kerley, with the Paris Olympics in 2024, has shown the world that he is a force to be reckoned with! His journey is a dynamic yet captivating one. Kerley’s story transitions from being a 400-meter specialist to being one of the fastest men in the 100 meters. It’s safe to say that he just might be on the brink of something extraordinary.

Let’s not forget the two Olympic medals that are also on his laurels! But that’s not all—he also holds three gold World Championship medals in his stack. Wins aside, the question that has been bustling on everyone’s mind is, ‘Is this the two-time Olympian who breaks the world record?’

Fred Kerley’s pursuit of the World Record

Fred Kerley is right on track to becoming the fastest man and is not afraid to say so! That’s right, Kerley has his eyes set on breaking the legendary Usain Bolt’s 100m world record. Kerley certainly has a champion’s trajectory! He made history as one of only three men to run a sub-10 second race in the 100m, a sub-20 second race in the 200m, and a sub-44 second race in the 400m.

An X user recently remarked, “I know you still haven’t touched the track cuz that WR still standing.” Kerley came up with a playful yet focused response! “Exactly I just been touching the air over the track at the moment 😂😂,” he wrote. Bolt’s record of 9.58 seconds set at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany still stands, which Kerley intends to break wide apart.

Fred Kerley is definitely on track to break the world record. Let’s go back to the beginning! His iconic Olympic journey began with a silver in the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Proving he is no one-trick pony, he followed this up with a bronze in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Talking about his marvels, he also won gold in the 100m at the 2022 World Championships.

Kerley is currently tied for the sixth-fastest time in history! He did the same at the semi-final in Eugene, clocking 9.76 seconds. The dream is not far off. Kerley has also made his motivation clear. “It’s absolutely my desire to be the fastest man alive. I want to be the fastest in the one [100m], the two [200m], and the four [400m],” he added. Will he touch the track after all?

The making of Fred Kerley

Fred Kerley’s journey tells us that he has turned all the stones in his way into milestones! Kerley himself encapsulated his journey in a recent tweet: “2021- Started off in the 400m, mid-season switch & 3 months later, I became the 100m Olympic silver medalist. 2022 – World champion in the 100m. 2023- I fucked up. 2024- Olympic bronze medalist.” Wondering where it went wrong?

Let’s go back to where it all began. Kerley’s athletic story began at Taylor High School and later continued at Texas A&M. He initially used to run 400m. But it was in 2021 that he made a game-changing decision by switching to 100m. Three months after this, he won silver at the Tokyo Olympics. And the following year, he won the World Championship title in the 100 meters. However, in 2023, Kerley was knocked out of the 100m World Championships. Despite clocking 9.86 seconds in 2022, he fell short in 2023, clocking 10.02. But 2024 has proven that he has bounced back! Will Fred Kerley’s playful yet bold proclamation of “touching the air over the track” turn into reality? Well, according to Kerley, “Winning is more important than beating someone.”