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The American sprint legend has called out the Box-to-Box-produced Netflix show Sprint for unfair coverage of sprinters, including Fred Kerley.
Legendary former American sprinter Justin Gatlin has voiced his disapproval of Netflix’s "SPRINT," criticizing the series for what he feels is a skewed portrayal of athletes that fails to authentically represent their stories.
Gatlin, a decorated sprinter himself, explained his frustrations on his Ready Set Go podcast, during a conversation with two-time Olympic medalist Fred Kerley, who was featured in the show’s first season.
Gatlin believes the series focused too heavily on building up certain star names, notably Noah Lyles, while sidelining the journeys and accomplishments of other athletes.
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He expressed particular dissatisfaction with how Kerley was depicted. The 2022 World Champion in the 100 meters, Kerley has publicly expressed his own disappointment over his portrayal in SPRINT, arguing that the show reconfigured events to fit a “Hollywood” narrative.
"I didn’t like it... they blindsided a lot of the characters," Gatlin said during the podcast. “The portrayal of you was never the champion you were. It should have shown your backstory, the journey that made you the champion you are before setting up this so-called rivalry with Noah.”
Kerley, set to return for SPRINT's second season, has also raised concerns about how the series paints him as the “antagonist.”
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07:50 - 25.10.2024
'We ain't getting no money for this s**t' - Fred Kerley slams Netflix's 'SPRINT' for misrepresentation and unfair portrayal of sprinters
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.
The show builds up a rivalry between Lyles, the 2023 100-meter world champion, and Marcell Jacobs, who is depicted as frequently injured, leaving Kerley feeling reduced to a narrative device.
“They really didn’t show how they actually filmed us. This s*** is Hollywood,” Kerley commented on Gatlin’s podcast, suggesting that scenes were selectively edited to manufacture conflict.
Kerley further pointed out that his journey from the 2022 World Championship to his anticipated face-offs with Lyles and Jacobs was a significant story in itself, one he feels SPRINT missed the mark on.
"They should start this season two with the World Championship and Noah [Lyles] and end with his Olympic win. But… it’s Hollywood," he remarked, noting his hopes for a more balanced depiction in the upcoming season, set to capture the aftermath of the Paris Olympic Games.
With both Gatlin and Kerley advocating for a more genuine representation of track stars, the second season of SPRINT may face added pressure to strike a balance between dramatic appeal and the authentic, raw experiences of the world’s fastest athletes.
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