“Will the world ever see a @fkerley99 back in the quarter?” Olympian Ashley Spencer posted this question about the recent 100-meter Olympic bronze medalist Fred Kerley on her X profile, and the track community responded with plenty of answers.
However, Olympic champion Vernon Norwood also joined the conversation, but he issued a controversial statement.
“When I started running faster you notice he stepped down to 100m. That’s all you needed to know.”
This statement from Norwood about his fellow American athlete elicited conflicting reactions from fans, including Spencer, who further posted a gif that mirrored her reaction to it.
now hold onn pic.twitter.com/owXcIP7sxa
— Ashley Spencer, oly (@theTrackQueen) August 7, 2024
Everyone witnessed a reaction from Kerley himself, as the American athlete, known for his cryptic personality, never allowed anyone to undermine his accomplishments.
“I drop 43 on your head,” The three-time world champion responded to Norwood by posting a screenshot from the World Athletics website showing their 400-meter (glitch on the website showed 60) events head-to-head.
https://t.co/uWliUOhlh9 pic.twitter.com/XGZ5rKw0Xl
— Fred Kerley (@fkerley99) August 7, 2024
According to the statistics, the two athletes’ first track meet on the grid was during the 2017 USA Championships semi-finals, where Kerley won with a 44.11.
They met for the second time at the 2018 US Indoor Championships, which Kerley won with a 45.18, but it was a close battle because Norwood finished second with a 45.58.
However, this grid was for the heats, and the two competitors raced again in the finals, but on this occasion, Norwood edged Kerley with a 45.60 to win the silver medal, while Kerley had to settle for third place.
And since the 2018 Shanghai IAAF Diamond League, Kerley has beaten Norwood in every 400-meter appearance, the most recent being the last round of the 2021 Doha Diamond League, where he won bronze with a 44.60.
Although the clash between the two track stars did not intensify, data shows that Kerley consistently outperformed Norwood on the track. Additionally, Kerley holds a faster personal best in the 400 meters (43.64 vs. 44.10).
Kerley hasn’t competed in the 400 meters in a while because of the Olympic season, which has kept him focused on the 100 and 200 meters. However, the track star is a versatile athlete who may jump trains at any point to reclaim his 400-meter crown.
