The track and field world was set abuzz as Vernon Norwood once again fired at fellow athlete Fred Kerley in an ongoing debate about the 400-meter event.
Despite the 100-meter Olympic bronze medalist hinting at a return to the 400 meters, Norwood no longer views him as a competitor in this event.
Norwood’s bold remark on his X page in response to Raes Take TV’s tweet about Kerley’s 2024 season evaluation has highlighted the fierce competition and strong opinions surrounding this challenging distance.
The X post highlighted various rumors and criticisms, starting with speculation about the sprinter failing to qualify for the US Olympic Trials. However, Kerley ultimately placed third in the event, securing his spot for the 100 meters at the Paris Olympics.
Critics then questioned the three-time world champion‘s 100-meter form and predicted he wouldn’t advance past the semifinals. Kerley defied these expectations, by not only reaching the finals but also clocking a 9.81 to win the Olympic bronze medal, silencing doubts about his medal-winning potential.
In response to Kerley’s recent appreciation message from sponsor Tag Heuer, Raes Take TV posed the question, “Fred ain’t gone _______” Feel in the blank for what he ain’t gone do next. Let’s see what happens….” alluding to critics’ next potential doubts about the athlete.
“Fred ain’t even gone make the finals”
“Fred ain’t gone make the team”
“Fred ain’t gone make it out the semis”
“Fred ain’t gone medal”
“Fred ain’t gone _______”Feel in the blank for what he ain’t gone do next. Let’s see what happens…. https://t.co/BgVmp2a3Ry
— Raes Take TV (@RaesTake) August 16, 2024
However, Norwood felt the need to respond to this blank, stating:
“Fred ain’t going back to 400m [laughing emojis]”
“Fred ain’t going back to 400m”
https://t.co/njsI6o059H— Vernon L. Norwood (@Vernon400m) August 16, 2024
Kerley has yet to respond to his fellow Team USA sprinter’s comments, though he previously compared his 400-meter performance to Norwood’s.
Their first 400-meter encounter occurred during the 2017 USA Championships semi-finals, where Kerley emerged victorious with a time of 44.11 seconds.
Their next meeting was at the 2018 US Indoor Championships, with Kerley again claiming the win at 45.18 seconds. Norwood finished a close second, clocking 45.58 seconds. In the finals of the same event, Norwood secured the silver medal with a time of 45.60 seconds, outperforming Kerley.
However, since Norwood’s triumph at the 2018 Shanghai IAAF Diamond League, he has not managed to beat Kerley in a 400-meter race. Notably, Kerley holds a faster personal best in the event, with 43.64 seconds compared to Norwood’s 44.10 seconds.
