Noah Lyles finally put the “Fastest Man in the World” debate to rest at the Paris Olympics, edging out Jamaican phenom Kishane Thompson by a razor-thin 0.005 seconds in the 100m. The photo-finish finals left the track and field community buzzing, with all competitors clocking times between 9.79 and 9.91 seconds—one of the deepest fields ever. Lyles’ victory backed up his bold talk, silencing any doubt about his claim to the title with both his World and now Olympic golds. But not everyone is convinced; enter Fred Kerley.

In a candid chat with EssentiallySports, the full-time sprinter, part-time farmer, and 2022 World 100m Champion—plus a two-time Olympic 100m medallist—Fred confidently stated that he could still take down the “3 Peat” king! Just two days after the electrifying men’s 100-meter Olympic finals, where Fred Kerley and Noah Lyles made history by bringing America to the podium for the first time in 20 years, our correspondent in Paris caught up with Fred.

We asked him, “Do you think Noah Lyles is the fastest man, or is it you?” The Texan replied, “I believe on any given day I’m the fastest man, but he was the fastest man on that day, so more props to him.” Despite all odds, with a stacked field featuring Ferdinand Omanyala, Oblique Seville, and Akani Simbine, Fred Kerley claimed bronze in 9.81 seconds, just behind Noah and Kishane.

His season-best time came after a semi-final when he clocked 9.84 seconds. While they’ve brought American glory back to the Olympic podium and are strong contenders for Team USA, Fred, and Noah’s individual ambitions have them boldly contending and dissing each other in the chase for the 100-meter crown.

Fred Kerley started as a 400m athlete, racking up medals in the 400m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay and clinching eleven Diamond League wins, including finals in the 400m (2018) and 100m (2021). His blazing 43.64 seconds over 400 meters makes him the eighth fastest in history. During the pandemic, Kerley shifted gears to focus on the 100m, aiming to boost his speed for a future sub-43 attempt in the 400m.

The gamble paid off big time with a silver in the 100m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, clocking in at 9.84. With a personal best of 9.76, he’s the sixth fastest man in history for the straightaway sprint, trailing legends like Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, and tying with Christian Coleman and Trayvon Bromell.

Kerley is in elite company with Michael Norman and Wayde van Niekerk as one of the only three men to break 10 seconds in the 100m, 20 seconds in the 200m, and 44 seconds in the 400m. His crowning glory came at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where he snagged his first individual World Championship gold in the 100m. Then Noah Lyles, the 200-meter specialist, decided to drop down to the 100m, gunning for double gold. This sparked a fiery rivalry on American soil: Noah Lyles vs. Fred Kerley.

Noah Lyles vs Fred Kerley rivalry debunked!

On episode 5 of Netflix’s “Sprint,” Noah Lyles spilled the beans about his double gold ambitions at the 2023 World Championship, aiming to push the boundaries of track and field further. He shared, “So, of course, I gotta beat everybody. And that includes the previous world champion.” When the producer asked, “Which is who?” Lyles replied, “Fred Kerley.” He even threw down the gauntlet on Instagram, boldly posting, “I will run 9.65, 19.10.”

The banter between the two was palpable ahead of the press conference. Noah quipped, “Fred is that very much quiet personality. He’s not calling me, ‘Hey bro, come over for the weekend?’ Nah, that’s not our relationship.” The conference kicked off with Kerley being introduced as “The Fastest Man in the World,” prompting Noah to visibly disagree and shoot a disapproving look at Anna Cockrell, who was sitting next to him alongside Gabby Thomas, Fred Kerley, and Nia Ali.

Fred started strong, declaring, “I’m Fred Kerley; this is my title.” Noah, ever cool, shot back, “That’s what they all say ’til they get beat.” The banter kept rolling as Fred confidently stated, “If Noah’s going to run 9.65, then I’m running faster.”

But in a dramatic twist, Kerley didn’t advance past the semi-finals at the 2023 World Championships, while Noah Lyles took the 100m gold with a time of 9.83 seconds. Letsile Tebogo from Botswana snagged second with a national record of 9.88 seconds, and Zharnel Hughes from Great Britain also clocked 9.88 seconds for third.

Despite the fierce rivalry, Noah and Fred are a united front when it comes to representing Team USA. The last time Team USA won gold in this event was back in Sydney in 2000, with Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis, and Maurice Greene.

Since then, the title has passed to Great Britain (2004), Trinidad and Tobago (2008), Jamaica (2012 and 2016), and most recently Italy (2020). Can they bring glory and gold back to Team USA? Share your thoughts in the comments below!