Competitors aiming for the Olympics this year have greeted American track fans with a flurry of excitement. Many track stars, including Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Courtney Lindsey, have begun their 200-meter races, determined to live up to their promise. Fred Kerley, who is also highly anticipated by the fans, competed at the recent Jamaica Athletics but was unable to secure the gold medal, which eventually went to British athlete Zharnel Hughes.
Kerley has had a lot of challenges this season. He was unable to execute in indoor races early in the year, and as a result, he lost his 4×400-meter position at the World Athletics Indoor Championship to Noah Lyles. Naturally, this led to a row between him and the USATF, although he continued to train for the outdoor season.
At the Hurricane Invitational, Kerley raced an outstanding 100 meters to win his first race of 2024. He then went on to compete in the Diamond League Tour in China, where he finished second and third in the two 100-meter events he entered. Although this performance was below par for someone of his talent, fans remained hopeful that the track sensation might show promise in other divisions.
Interestingly, Kerley was a fan favorite at the Jamaica Athletics, where he was joined by fellow Team USA runner Christian Coleman. However, Coleman fell behind and in the final meters going up to the finish line, Kerley faced off against British athlete Zharnel Hughes.
The four-time European champion crossed the finish line in 19.96 seconds, making him the only competitor in the event to cross 20 seconds. Kerley took silver with a time of 20.17, while Coleman finished fifth.
Jamaica Athletics men's 200m (+1.1)
19.96🇬🇧Zharnel Hughes
20.17🇺🇸Fred Kerley
20.20🇫🇷Pablo Mateo
20.42🇨🇦Brendon Rodney
20.46🇺🇸Christian Coleman pic.twitter.com/1SZsz0sLPW— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) May 12, 2024
It’s a total 180-degree flip for Team USA fans, who only a few days ago saw Kenny Bednarek and other American competitors dominate the podium in the 200-meter race at the Doha Diamond League. All of these competitors are vying for a spot in the Olympics, and many prominent members of the community are excited about the upcoming track meets.
Fred Kerley to face competition with fellow Team USA athletes
Fred Kerley has faced a lot of pressure as a result of an uneven indoor season. Still, fans expect more from him as he has secured quite a few podium finishes at outdoor events.
"I'm doing the 100m, 200m and 400m at the @Paris2024"@fkerley99 had us going for a second there… 🤣#XiamenDL 🇨🇳#DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/QFuNUEsfvA
— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) April 19, 2024
The USATF is always critical of their picks for major events such as the Olympics and World Championships, and they will not hesitate to change if any of the athletes do poorly. The four-time world champion is focusing on his 100-meter and 200-meter abilities, but he must compete with his own teammates, including Lyles and Bednarek for a chance at punching his Olympic ticket.
