Mind games begin! Fred Kerley & Noah Lyles exchange words ahead of 100m showdown at World Championships

ATHLETICS Mind games begin! Fred Kerley & Noah Lyles exchange words ahead of 100m showdown at World Championships

Abigael Wafula 09:37 - 19.08.2023

World 200m champion Lyles has claimed that he will run 100m in 9.65 in Budapest but defending champion Kerley insists he is still ‘King’

Reigning world 100m champion Fred Kerley and world 200m champion Noah Lyles were involved in an altercation during the pre-competition press conference ahead of the World Championships which start in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.

Lyles set ambitious goals in both the 100m and 200m and he suggested to be going for Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19.

The American intends to run 19.10. In the 100m, he intends to become the second fastest man in the world by running 9.65. The 100m world record time, set by Jamaica’s Bolt, stands at 9.58.

When Kerley was asked about Lyles’ ambitions heading into the 100m, he said that he is the reigning world champion and the title is his. He added that if Lyles runs 9.65, then he will definitely run faster.

I’m Fred Kerley and this is my title. If Noah runs 9.65, I’m running faster,” he bullishly said.

Lyles hit Kerley back, saying: “That’s what they always say until they get beaten.

Kerley responded saying: “Yeah…alright.” Speaking about the form of Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs, Kerley noted that it’s not his matter of concern at the moment.

He said: “I do not think we have to spend too many words on him at the moment.

The men’s 100m will definitely promise to be an epic showdown since it has attracted one of the finest fields from the defending champion Kerley, the fastest man in the world this year Zharnel Hughes to Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala.

All the men will be vying for the highly coveted title and only one man will go home with it. Who will it be?