“Got 20k on Fred”: Track Star Puts His Money on US Star, Who Was Once Just 0.18 Seconds Behind Usain Bolt, Against Olympic Gold Medalist Marcell Jacobs

Banter and rivalry are not uncommon in the world of track and field. Sprinters like Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, etc. have, at some point in time, participated in some form of verbal exchange. Recently, two on-track rivals were dragged into the spotlight to show off their prowess against each other.

In a series of tweets, track star Noah Lyles picked sides on an ongoing debate about two popular sprinters. Fred Kerley from the US and Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs have long established their rivalry on the field. And now, talks of a 1v1 have fans excited for more.

A call for a duel from Fred Kerley to Marcell Jacobs

Retired track and field star Michael Johnson highlighted an ongoing banter between US sprinter Fred Kerley and Italian Olympian Marcell Jacobs. Both stars had previously gone head-to-head during the Tokyo Olympics. And now, fans are demanding a 1v1 again. While Jacobs won the gold at Tokyo and surprised everyone, Kerley narrowly missed beating Bolt, with his best being just 0.18s more.

However, the track and field world split when Kerley himself took to Twitter to call his rival out. Upon hearing Jacobs’s response to one of his statements, Kerley challenged him to a 1v1 at the upcoming Diamond League. He tweeted, “I want 1v1 no one else just him. Him alone”. And in response, Olympian Noah Lyles picked a side.

Read More: “If They Can Do It, Then Why Not Us?”: American Sprinter Fred Kerley Remains Determined to Break Usain Bolt’s Long-Standing World Record

Lyles placed a bet on the potential race and tweeted, “I got 20k on Fred for the 1V1”. Since both sprinters represented the same country, it isn’t surprising that Lyles would choose a fellow American to support. While both contenders are equally strong, Lyles decided to place his bet on someone he previously defeated.

What went down at the Doha Diamond League

The Doha League witnessed some of the top sprinters competing against each other at the 200m race. Two of them happened to be American track and field stars, Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley.

In a nail-biting race, where Lyles and Kerley left everyone behind to go for the gold, the former narrowly managed to win. In the end, Lyles won the title with an impressive time of 19.72 seconds (+2.1). Now, as the banter between Kerley and Jacobs progresses, only time will tell if the sprinters do get to lock horns in the future.

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