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Kerley was positioned in lane three, right next to Thompson in lane four during the Paris Olympics 100m final, and he pushed him to the very end of that race
American sprint sensation Fred Kerley has revealed the one major flaw about Kishane Thompson’s running style he regrets not exploiting during the 100 meter final of the Paris Olympic games last August.
In a revealing episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, Kerley reflected on his race strategy and how he failed to capitalize on a vulnerability in Kishane Thompson’s running style.
Despite Kerley’s intensive preparation leading up to the Olympics and confidence in his race plan, he fell short, finishing third in 9.81 seconds.
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18:30 - 31.10.2024
'It's boring!' - Double Olympic 100m medalist gives brutally honest assesment on track and field
Two time Olympic 100-meter medalist Fred Kerley has explained why he thinks track and field is a 'boring' sport.
The race ended with Noah Lyles securing the gold in an impressive 9.79 seconds, narrowly edging out Thompson, who also clocked 9.79 seconds but placed second. Kerley recounted that his promising start was disrupted by a miscalculation during his transition phase, turning him from a leader into a chaser at the crucial moment.
“I gave that race up,” Kerley admitted. “When I got up, I was killing them, but when I got to my transition, I took a step backwards and then tried to run again. I lost that race, but you live and learn… I didn’t tell anybody, but that race was not supposed to be won by any of them.”
The Texan sprinter revealed an overlooked detail that could have changed the outcome—Thompson’s tendency to fade in the final 40 meters of a race.
This unique aspect of the Jamaican sprinter’s performance was well-documented, as he often surged out of the blocks with blazing speed and maintained it up to the 60-meter mark before gradually slowing down.
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10:00 - 03.11.2024
Yohan Blake reveals the insane time Jamaica's 4 x 100 m relay team would have set at 2012 Olympics had Asafa Powell been available
Powell suffered an injury during the final of the 100 meter race at the London 2012 Olympics, which effectively dropped him from the relay line up.
“Old boy [Thompson] never had pressure on the side because he was already locking up, and I’m seeing him locking up too,” Kerley said. “Noah was just too far away… that race was lost by my transition.”
Thompson's habit of easing up toward the finish was noted even before the Olympics. At the Jamaican Olympic trials, where he burst into the limelight with a sensational 9.77-second run, he admitted to intentionally slowing down per his coach Stephen Francis’s instruction.
‘ “My coach instructed me to just run the first 60 [metres], nothing more,” the 22-year-old Thompson shared post-victory. “After that, I should just shut it down. If I came in second or third, I make the team.”
This same pattern repeated in the 100m final in Paris, where Thompson showcased his rapid acceleration but struggled to sustain his speed beyond 65 meters.
Kerley’s analysis was echoed by 2004 Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin, who previously pointed out the sprinter’s Achilles’ heel on the Ready Set Go podcast.
“He does not have the fight anywhere after 65 meters. He is able to control the race and start shutting down. Mentally you may be able to push that, but is your body able to push that?” Gatlin questioned.
Thompson’s semifinal race in Paris, where he clocked 9.80 seconds despite visibly easing off near the end, further highlighted this aspect of his running style.
It was a missed opportunity that Kerley now recognizes, understanding that greater pressure on Thompson could have disrupted his rhythm and changed the outcome of the final.
Kerley’s reflection on the race underscores the fine margins that separate victory and defeat at the highest level of sprinting. With the Paris Olympics behind him, the American sprinter’s revelation is both a lesson learned and a warning for future showdowns on the track.
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