Noah Lyles’ “Dream” To Get Crushed Amid Fred Kerley’s “Upgrade” Mantra at Paris Olympics?

The exchange of heated words between Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley shows no sign of stopping. The battle started after Noah Lyles earned his late call in the final 4x400m relay team in the Glasgow World Indoor Championships this year. Believing it to be a dismissal of his entry chance to the national relay team, the American sprinter Fred Kerley went all guns blazing, aiming at Noah Lyles and USATF for the selection process. Since then, both the sprinters hurled words at each other, trying to display their superiority at landing a national call-up. 

Noah Lyles went one step ahead, backing his recent performance to be the reason for his ultimate selection. After that, the ball went to Fred Kerley’s court to flaunt his reply. Ultimately, he did that on Saturday after posing as the winner of a 100m event. But, his statements afterward were not relieving for Noah Lyles.  

Fred Kerley’s cryptic message to Noah Lyles? 

Fred Kerley’s Saturday victory in Hurricane Invitational may not pose a problem to Noah Lyles, as the timing remained far behind the latter’s performance in Budapest Worlds. However, after finishing the race, Kerley expressed his dream for the upcoming days. In a conversation with track and field raconteur, Rori Dunk, he claimed, “Time to upgrade that silver[from Tokyo Olympics 100m event] to gold. That’s only thing I’m working for and I know I’m the man to do it”. That felt challenging to Noah Lyles’s cherished dream in the 2024 Paris Olympics season. 

Previously, the reigning 100m world champion announced his quadruple goal this season. “We’re coming after everything, All the Olympic medals. I don’t care who wants it. It’s mine,” he roared to NBC Sports in Boston. Moreover, he had previously said that it was his “dream” to touch Usain Bolt’s sprinting feats to set him alongside the Jamaican great in Olympic history. But, after Saturday, that dream of Noah might look risky, in 100m at least. Moreover, some recent occurrences from the Glasgow World Indoor medalist loomed over his chances of creating history. 

Some revelations come from the horse’s mouth 

When the monumental ‘Quadruple’ goal already flicked whirling in the track and field communities, Noah Lyles narrated his version to shed some additional light on the situation. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the three-peater conceded, “When you want to talk about being the greatest, that’s what you have to achieve. So, I announced that that is a goal of mine to complete; why not do it on the biggest stage, the Olympics?”

Read more: Noah Lyles’s Coach Makes Bold Claim for 100M at Paris Olympics 2024

However, in the ongoing season, Noah Lyles has not participated in any outdoor event so far. But, his last season’s performances were strong enough to compel him to aim for such a prominent target. On the other hand, Fred Kerley has been shedding sweat, targeting outdoor events for the last few weeks. Through a series of tweets, the 3x world champion recently displayed his practice scenes in the dusty tracks. Moreover, a brand deal from ASICS was also on its way to keep the momentum in place. Now, this performance may have satisfied him in the head-to-head with Noah. 

Also read: Noah Lyles’ Outdoor Preparation Reaches New Heights as He Reunites With Old Pals