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Olympic bronze medalist Fred Kerley has recently opened up about how a mishap at the 2024 New York Grand Prix in the build up to the 2024 Paris Olympics fueled his qualification for the games.
For Olympic bronze medalist Fred Kerley, the path to Paris 2024 was anything but smooth.
The sprinter, who clinched third in the 100m final with a blazing 9.81 seconds, attributes his Olympic triumph to an unexpected mishap at the 2024 New York Grand Prix.
In June, as preparations for the Paris Games reached their peak, Kerley was poised to compete in the 100m at the New York Grand Prix, a key tune-up race. However, a series of unfortunate events derailed his plans.
After an apparent false start, Kerley tripped on the starting blocks, prompting frustration. from the former world champion.
The mishap led him to walk off the track entirely, a decision that raised eyebrows at the time.
Reflecting on the incident at the time, Kerley was critical of the equipment used at the meet.
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15:49 - 14.11.2024
American legends Michael Johnson & Dennis Mitchell agree with Fred Kerley & Gabby Thomas on the 'difficulty' of USATF Olympic trials
The USATF Olympic trials have been described as 'tougher' than the Olympic games themselves, something Michael Johnson, Dennis Mitchell, Gabby Thomas and Fred Kerley all agree on.
"Well, first of all, them blocks looked like elementary blocks," he said via FloTrack.
"We’re at a professional meet, so you should have professional blocks with professional sensors on them."
His withdrawal from the race seemed like a setback, especially with the Olympics looming, but in the recent Season 2 of Netflix's docuseries Sprint, Kerley revealed that the incident became a turning point in his journey.
"New York can't break me," Kerley said defiantly.
"I love the doubters. I love what they say. Once you doubt me, I’m going to get it. The New York moment needed to happen for this moment right here."
Kerley used the disappointment as fuel to power his campaign at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he secured his spot for Paris.
On the Olympic stage, he faced a star-studded field, including Jamaica's Kishane Thompson and American teammate Noah Lyles.
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07:00 - 15.11.2024
'It shook my exsistence' -Why Kishane Thompson is still furious to have lost to Noah Lyles at Paris Olympic 100m final
Kishane Thompson is still unhappy with his second place finish in the final of the 100 meter race at the Paris 2024 Olympic games, where he narrowly lost to Noah Lyles, who the Jamaican believes he is 'actually faster than'.
The final was one for the ages, with the top three separated by mere milliseconds as Lyles claimed gold in 9.79 seconds while Thompson took silver also clocking 9.79, and Kerley crossed the line in 9.81 to earn his first Olympic medal.
As Kerley looks ahead to the 2025 season, his performance in Paris cements his place among the world’s elite sprinters with his ability to turn adversity into achievement.
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