June 23, Sunday, an unsponsored Fred Kerley walks in Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon wearing an Oakley wear and Nike Air Zoom Maxfly spikes. The two-time Diamond League winner ran in the 100m track in hopes of earning a ticket to Paris. And 9.88 seconds later, the San Antonio native paved his way to his second Olympic appearance! Coming out of the blue, recorded 0.15 faster than his season’s best, that’s something only Kerley can do.

When the world touted Fred Kerley to be finished, he bounced back. His sheer determination to be back on the top was reflected after he triumphed over Christian Coleman by 0.07 seconds. “They poke the bear,” wrote Fred Kerley in his recent X post with an animated picture of him wearing a bear skin. This indeed was a fitting reply for his critics after his thumping entry to the Paris Olympics. Ahead of him finished Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, who were 0.05 and 0.01 seconds faster. Does that mean he can go faster at the upcoming sporting extravaganza?

Amid sponsor controversy, Fred Kerley’s cryptic tweets are garnering attention too. “What’s understood don’t need to be explained,” the three-time World Champion wrote in his Instagram post wearing Puma shoes. Now, at the US Olympic Trials, he donned Nike, confusing everyone about what brand he would wear in Paris. However, fans, on the other hand, are in a nutshell of his social media sarcasm.

Fred Kerley’s social media sarcasm backfires at him

“I ain’t false start,” Kerley’s reply to a troll when he pointed out that the sprinter was disqualified for a false start. His overactiveness on social media forces fans to believe him being irresponsible. “Kerley is so unserious. Kerley will finish last and then comes and hypes himself up on social media,” wrote a fan for the sprinter overusing social media.

Fred Kerley’s personal best is 9.76 seconds, but he hasn’t been close to the figure in the last two years or so. However, after seeing his performance in Eugene, Oregon, a fan is confident, “It went really well, 9.7 in Paris for sure!” In fact, the San Antonio sprinter’s personal best makes him the sixth fastest man in the world. “Focus on your training, leave social media. You Were a world champion,” another fan reiterated. It is noteworthy that 2019,2022, and 2023 mark the years when the San Antonio native won a gold medal in the World Championships.

“Great you qualified now we wait for the win,” wrote a Fred Kerley fan. The 29-year-old is already an Olympic silver medalist. But if he is hoping for gold, he will have to face staunch competition from his compatriot Noah Lyles. However, his fans do support him to outclass everyone in Paris this year. Replying to his original tweet, a fan writes, “U poke the bear, the bear get mad“.

Fred Kerley has already revealed his plans for the ‘next cycle’ after finishing third at Eugene, Oregon. However, to make it to his next cycle, he will have to overcome the odds in Paris. Can he clinch his second Olympic medal at the upcoming quadrennial event? What’s your thought on this? Let us know in the comments!