Fred Kerley isn’t one to be bogged down by his turmoils. Instead, the Olympic medalist prefers to keep his chin up even in the face of adversity. With the 2024 Olympics around the corner, we’re in the final lap to the US Team Trials, and Kerley is leaving no stone unturned to bolster his claims for a spot in the national team. While his run at the recently concluded Jamaica Invitational didn’t yield the desired result, he hasn’t held back on his grand plans for the future. But not everyone is on the same page with the 29-year-old.

Track and field fans around the country have been pondering about Fred’s chances of bagging $1 million after his recent comments on his next 100m race. However, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist sprinter Justin Gatlin isn’t convinced.

In a recent episode of Ready Set Go, Gatlin made his views of Kerley’s claims clear. With Fred’s personal best in the 100m sprint being 9.76 seconds, he will have to pull off a miracle to break Usain Bolt’s 9.58 world record in the event. In the podcast, Gatlin calls Kerley a “manifesting kind” of a person but still, the hosts share their skepticism over the latter’s world record prospect. “…that’s a lot to call on man“, said Rodney Green, noting that Kerley hasn’t gone below 10 seconds all year in the 100m dash.

However, Gatlin also mentioned that Kerley likes to thrive on hate and he finds his motivation from cyber naysayers who cast doubt on his prowess. “…he building that hood Dragon Ball Z spear bomb“, joked Justin, hinting that Fred cannot be discounted at any cost and his arsenal is staked with formidable ammunition.

On the other hand, even if Kerley does manage to make mountains move, there is no shortage of people who are ready to spoil his big plans for Paris in August. The upcoming Norwegian event is also expected to give him a sneak peek as to what awaits the three-time World Championships gold medalist at the French capital.

Fred Kerley’s strongest opponent prowling in the dark

At the Oslo Bislett Games, Fred will once again clash against his long-time rival Marcell Jacobs of Italy. The American’s world record comment ignited the fierce competition between him and Jacobs once again, as the latter seemed to take the statement with a pinch of salt. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Jacobs scooped up a first-place finish in the men’s 100m race, and Kerley had to settle for a silver. Then again in 2023, at the World Championships, Fred and Team USA trumped Jacobs’ Italy to win the gold medal in the 4x100m relay race. Understandably, the two consider each other as their strongest opponents and they’ve never shied away from taking potshots at one another.

In the interview too, Gatlin and Green talked about how Jacobs and Kerley’s online banter has emerged as one of the most discussed rivalries in the track world and how watching them going at each other with everything in their power is always a treat for the fans.

Ahead of the Olympics, a lot is at stake for both sprinters. With another thrilling time next week, tell us who is your favorite among the duo in the comments below.