Olympic medalist Fred Kerley recently spoke about his tough 2024 track season, clarifying the challenges he encountered on and off the track. Known for his incredible speed and competitiveness, the 29-year-old’s journey this year was anything but smooth, marked by periods of doubt and personal problems that ultimately led him to find strength in vulnerability and perseverance.
Kerley’s preparations for the 2024 season were not going as planned. Critics and naysayers expressed concerns about his disappointing 2023 season after he lost in the semi-finals of the Budapest World Championships and missed the opportunity to defend his 2022 100-meter gold.
However, Kerley did not give up hope and was preparing for the Olympic season with intensive training. When the 2024 season began, all eyes in the track community were on him, but his string of poor performances persisted. This eventually cost him a spot in the men’s 4×400-meter relays at the Glasgow World Indoor Championships.
Lost my soul a few time this year. Still standing stronger than ever. You can’t stop God blessing
— Fred Kerley (@fkerley99) October 8, 2024
Kerley admitted his slide in the sport several times before, but he managed to meet fans’ expectations once again when he accepted his failures and moved forward with his objectives.
At the US Olympic Trials, he focused solely on the men’s 100 meters, eventually qualifying with a time of 9.88 seconds to secure a spot in Paris.
While it wasn’t quite his personal best in the category, it was one of the quicker times he had run in the 100 meters in quite some time. He looked excellent at the Stade de France and lived up to supporters’ expectations, finishing on the podium at the Paris Olympics with a solid 9.81-second finish.
The consensus predicted that he would not win a medal in a major championship this season, but Kerley proved everybody wrong with his dominant performance in the 2024 Games.
Moving forward the American sprinter will face numerous hurdles in the forthcoming 2025 season. After a campaign full of ups and downs, he would surely feel more motivated than ever and determined to win more medals.
