American sprinting sensation Fred Kerley has recently addressed British athlete Matthew Hudson-Smith’s challenge for a 300-meter showdown.
Following the men’s 400 meters at the Lausanne Diamond League, Hudson-Smith was reminded of his commitment to participate in the 300-meter exhibition race and the British athlete expressed his desire for the event to feature a competition between Team USA and Great Britain.
In the social media clip, Hudson-Smith initially wanted a 300-meter track battle against his closest British rival, Zharnel Hughes. However, he revised his plans to include American competitors, stating:
“Listen, Zharnel is going to get smoked, but I want to change it now. I want the USA versus Great Britain. So, if anyone’s down for that I know Fred said he’s on it.”
Hudson-Smith only mentioned Zharnel Hughes because he believed he would easily win a 300-meter exhibition race. However, he included American competitors, especially Kerley, knowing the sprinter had shown interest in this category.
Upon seeing the Instagram video, the recent 100-meter Olympic bronze medalist responded on his Instagram story:
“It not a match, bro; we can go after Rome.”
Kerley‘s statement, accompanied by laughing emojis, indicated his readiness for the challenge after competing in the Rome Diamond League on August 30. The American sprinter will participate in the 100-meter race but is already anticipating the 300-meter exhibition race.
— Sam John (@SamJohn1190) August 24, 2024
Hudson-Smith also hopes to see Noah Lyles, Rai Benjamin, and another American 300-meter runner participate. He also included Letsile Tebogo, who holds the current world record in the category. Hudson-Smith revealed the main objective of the exhibition race:
“Let’s make some money, man. Let’s make some money.”
Despite being a friendly competition among top athletes, Hudson-Smith believes the 300-meter race will generate substantial revenue due to the excitement of track fans.
He suggested hosting the event in Birmingham to set a British record in front of home supporters. Hudson-Smith assured that this would attract investors, given the star-studded lineup and the possibility of a world record-breaking race.
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Tebogo, who recently became the 200-meter Olympic champion, wanted his British competitor to set a date for the 300-meter competition.
“I’m always ready to race anyday anytime. Just give me a date.”
Zharnel Hughes accepted his fellow British athlete’s challenge but requested that the event be moved to the 2025 season.
“Geeessss!!! I’m all for this ! Next do this year because I’m not right now.”
Rai Benjamin also commented with a cheeky statement.
“IM PUTTING BELT TO A**!!!!!! RUN IT.”
The 300-meter sprint is an extremely rare event in track and field. While few athletes are interested in this category, Hudson-Smith wanted track spectators to have a unique experience while maintaining high competition with the grid list he provided.
