Noah Lyles Break Silence on Fred Kerley’s USATF Favoritism Call Out: “Could Be Here, but He Ain’t”

The American track and field athlete Noah Lyles has finally bitten back at Fred Kerley’s accusation of favoritism. It stemmed from the selection of Noah Lyles for the 4x400m relay final in Glasgow at the World Indoor Championship. So, the final lineup was comprised of Noah Lyles, Matthew Boling, Jacory Patterson, and Christopher Bailey, leaving Fred Kerley and Trevor Bassitt out of the team.

Then, Fred Kerley, the 2019 4x400m relay World Champion, wasted no time expressing his discontent publicly. He addressed his clear dissatisfaction with the team selection for the Glasgow final to both fans and USATF. This American sprinter accused the organization by calling it “puppets” on X. He took to his social media handle to harshly address USATF. However, this did not sit well with Lyles as he hit back at Kerley instantly.

Noah Lyles’ response highlights his confidence in his performance

Noah Lyles once again got the limelight when he replied to Fred Kerley’s furious reaction after not getting selected for the team. When Noah Lyles announced his intentions to compete in Glasgow in February, people were surprised, but this 26-year-old young athlete had defied expectations. Sports journalist Cathal Dennehy posted on his X, “He could be here, but he ain’t. If he mad, come on out here,” adding that this was Noah Lyles response to Kerley. In an interview with CBN, Noah said that he was preparing for the chance to come with rigorous training, setting his sight for snatching gold in a 4x400m relay.

The inclusion of Noah Lyles in the team made Fred Kerley raise eyebrows, leaving him with anger. As a reply, Noah Lyles commented, publicly challenging him to come out and face him. It also indicates that Noah Lyles was pretty happy with his match at the event, yet he had little competitive experience with Christian Coleman. However, even though Noah Lyles failed to replicate that success in Glasgow, his status as a formidable contender for upcoming events significantly increased his threat level for the Paris Olympics.

Glasgow’s triumphs hint at Paris Olympics dominance

The highlight of triumphs came in the 60-meter sprint with the historic victory of Noah Lyles. It further cemented his reputation as a prominent athlete and positioned him as the frontrunner for gold at the Paris Olympics with the 6.4 seconds mark. Though some people mocked Noah Lyles for making the statement about getting four gold medals at the Olympics, he took up the challenge.

Read More: How Much Will Noah Lyles’ New Contract Have to Be to Surpass Usain Bolt?

Amidst the backlash from the audience, Michael Johnson supported him. He shared an interview of Noah Lyles on his X handle (@MJGold), with a caption, “This is lobbying at its best! For people saying ‘Noah just be talking’, you’re wrong. Every move is calculated. Smart!“, showing trust in Noah Lyles’ abilities and skills. Athletes who had previously specialized in the 400m, such as Kenny Bednarek, also wanted to compete but were passed over in favor of Noah Lyles.