“Politics for Years”: LSU Coach Picks Side in Noah Lyles vs Fred Kerley Debate

One of the last events on the ultimate day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships was the 4x400m relay. Noah Lyles, being an integral part of the US roster, tried to steer the team boat through, but the team withered in the last fraction. The Belgium team blazed through to clinch the most coveted victory, but controversies around the race still kept brewing for a reason. And that has Fred Kerley in it.

Kerley, the sprinter from the US who has made headlines alongside Noah Lyles, has started his career with 400m. Always inclined towards sprinting his 400m way to hearts and podiums, Kerley claimed that the USATF resorted to unfair decision-making, therefore including the non-expert at the eleventh hour. But is Kerley’s ”favoritism’ statement garnering positive fan attention?

Fred Kerley receives support from a track fan

LSU coach Dennis Shaver’s X post reads, “Fred, USATF has ALWAYS showed favoritism when it comes to 4×1 and 4×4. Let’s all call it like it really is! Dealing with the politics for YEARS”. For context, let’s see what Fred Kerley’s original words were. He said, “@usatf y’all play that favoritism like mf. Yall like puppets. For sure yes man”. 

The 100m and 200m reigning champ Lyles, who’s on the verge of besting sprint virtuoso Usain Bolt’s record time, has little prior experience in 400m. On the other hand, Fred, whose forte is 400m, had asked for the opportunity but USATF refused. So, from the point of view of Fred Kerley, we can’t say he lashed out for no reason. The word ‘favoritism’ has come to light oftentimes over the years. The year 2024 was no exception. While Kersey’s emotions were all over the place, Lyles had the perfect reply for him.

Lyles isn’t someone to stay quiet

Considering his electric energy, the 26-year-old showcases his finesse on track but never lets any comments go unnoticed. To Kerley’s sentiments, Lyles replied, “He could be here, but he ain’t. If he mad, come on out here.” Nabbing the silver podium in back-to-back races at the World Indoor Championships wasn’t ideal for the 5x Diamond League champion. But his training regime will bring him wins at the Olympics inarguably.

The stellar coach-athlete duo of Lance Brauman and Noah Lyles has some winning strategies up their sleeves. The former said in an interview, “We’re lifting a little bit more aggressively than we have in the past. I mean, if it starts going to get better, he has to be stronger”. Keeping this in mind, are we awaiting a spectacle in Paris or not?

READ MORE: Breaking: Noah Lyles Drops Absolute Shocker for America at World Indoor Championships