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SPRINT season one potrayed Kerley as the antagonist of the show, with Noah Lyles being made the star, something the two-time Olympic medalist did not take lightly.
Two-time Olympic medalist Fred Kerley has voiced his frustration with Netflix’s hit series SPRINT, saying the show fails to authentically represent the stories of sprinters.
Kerley, who appeared in season one of the docuseries and is set to return for season two, shared his candid thoughts on the Ready Set Go podcast hosted by Justin Gatlin.
The 2022 World Champion in the 100 meters expressed disappointment over his portrayal in the series, accusing Netflix of distorting events to fit a “Hollywood” narrative.
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05:29 - 25.10.2024
'Them races in Kenya don’t really count'- American sprinter Fred Kerley aims dig at Ferdinand Omanyala
The 100m Olympic bronze medalist questioned Omanyala's record breaking time as Africa's fastest man.
The series primarily highlights the rivalry between Noah Lyles, the eventual 2023 100-meter world champion, and Marcell Jacobs, who is depicted as injury-prone. Kerley, meanwhile, feels he was positioned as the “antagonist” of the show, despite his 2022 World Championship victory.
According to Kerley, this selective storytelling undermines the achievements of all sprinters involved.
“They really ain’t show us how they really filmed us. This s*** is Hollywood,” Kerley said on the podcast, noting that the show manipulated footage to make some of the athletes appear as “villains.”
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14:37 - 24.10.2024
'My favorite media people' - Gabby Thomas praises Netflix docuseries 'Sprint' for elevating Track and Field’s global profile
Gabby Thomas, who was featured on season one of the docuseries, will also be featured in season two of the Netflix-produced show.
He believes scenes were altered and pieced together in ways that don’t reflect the reality of their experiences.
“They should start this season two with the World Championship and Noah [Lyles] and then the obvious finish of the season when he won the Olympics, but... it’s Hollywood,” he added.
Kerley also criticized the financial aspects of the series, claiming that sprinters aren’t compensated for their participation despite Netflix profiting from the show.
“We ain’t getting no money for this s***. Like I said, we slaves to these people... They making money off of us, and we ain’t getting no money from it,” he lamented.
The sprinter feels this lack of financial reward highlights broader issues in the sport, which he describes as “f***ed up.”
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