“This isn’t how I wanted it to go down,” said Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley after his outburst at the NYC Grand Prix. Kerley was supposed to headline the 100m race at the event, aiming for redemption in 2024 after failing to qualify for the World Championships in 2023. However, things didn’t go as planned.

They say a bad carpenter blames his tools, but Kerley is anything but. So, when he walked off the track at Icahn Stadium even before the race started, it caused a significant stir in the track and field world. The incident, triggered by a disputed false start call, has sparked a heated debate among fans. But what exactly happened that led to Kerley not starting the 100m dash?

Following the NYC Grand Prix, Fred Kerley expressed his disappointment, not about his DNS but about the equipment at the event. He tweeted, “High school block at professional meet.” What prompted this? Well, he walked away from the start line twice after two calls. Reportedly, the 29-year-old was unsatisfied with the quality of the start block in Lane 5. Citius Mag asked him about his decision to walk away following his two slips. “They were taking too long. I was asking requesting for some new blocks. One of my pads were broken,” he explained.

“I slipped the first time, and then I slipped the second time, and not about to have it happen a third time,” Fred Kerley added. Considering that many viewers thought he was disqualified because of a false start, the 2022 world champion made it clear that that wasn’t the case. “I ain’t false start.” In another interview, he asserted his belief about the subpar equipment. “First of all, them blocks look like elementary blocks. We at a professional meet. So you should have professional blocks with professional sensors on them.”

This wasn’t the only reason everyone was hyper-focused on Fred Kerley at the NYC Grand Prix. He showed up to the track wearing PUMA spikes. This move raised eyebrows because he signed a deal with ASICS in 2023. As viewers speculated that he and ASICS had split, Kerley asserted, “I ain’t switch it up. I left my bag at the airport.” However, Chris Chavez confirmed via a tweet that the brand and Kerley terminated their contract. The statement by ASICS read, “ASICS and Fred Kerley have mutually parted ways, and he is no longer an ASICS-sponsored athlete. We wish him the best in his career.”

In a now-deleted Instagram post, Kerley was training wearing PUMA spikes. While he wrote, “What’s understood don’t need to be explained,” the news is that he’s still a free agent. But teasing audiences with previews was enough to intensify the hype around his potential partnership with PUMA.

As cameras followed him for Netflix’s SPRINT, the shoes raised several eyebrows. That said, Fred Kerley’s split with ASICS might come as a severe blow to his net worth. More importantly, though, his absence from the 100m event disappointed fans. But it also confused and infuriated just as many, and they expressed it on social media. 

Track and field fans aren’t convinced by Fred Kerley’s “excuses” 

Just a day before the race, Kerley spoke about how he wants to qualify for the US Olympic Trials in the 100m and 200m categories. Considering the first round of the 100m trials is less than two weeks away, competing at the NYC Grand Prix would’ve given him at least some confidence, especially after he also scratched from the Oslo and Stockholm Diamond Leagues. In light of this, his decision to not start baffled a fan, and they wrote, “Doesn’t make any sense bro.”

Fred Kerley’s tweet mentioned how the starting blocks were like the ones they use in high schools. Replying to the tweet, one fan empathized with the 2022 world champion and went so far as to say the blocks were “worse than high school blocks.” Kerley is almost 30 years old. There’s no denying he’s a veteran, and the chances of sustaining an injury are higher than younger athletes. And the recovery time? It’s much longer, too. Kerley explained why he walked away.

“I had to make that [decision] because I’m getting cold. So if you get cold, you know what happens when you get cold.” As a 29-year-old, his reservations were justified. But the state of the starting blocks wasn’t. Comparing them to the sprinter’s age, another fan wrote, “They looked 30 years old.” That said, many fans were looking forward to seeing him compete, especially as he aims for redemption in 2024. But since he didn’t, his outburst garnered disapproval and frustration. 

Implying that Fred Kerley didn’t have a winning mindset, a follower commented, “Whatever. Excuses. Champions overcome anything.” Calling into question the 29-year-old’s demeanor, labeling it as unprofessional and childish, a fan expressed their frustration: You’ve got an attitude. Grow up and just do the work.” Kerley may have denied the accusations of a false start, but many users weren’t convinced. Although putting on a considerate front, another fan implied how everyone else had the same blocks, too. “Yea, blocks sucked. Hated to see pros using them, but at the end of the day, a FS is a false start.”

A few weeks ago, Kerley tweeted, “World record next time I touch the 100m.” Well, mocking him for not even giving the 9.58s record a shot, a user wrote, “waiting for that world record ninja 🥷” This year, Kerley has a 100m season best of 10.11s, making him the 11th-fastest American. And in the 200m charts for 2024, with a season-best of 20.17s, he’s the 9th-fastest American. Needless to say, he has work to do before the Trials in two weeks. 

Considering this, a miss at the NYC Grand Prix may prove costly for Fred Kerley. What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments!