PARIS — The time has finally come for Taylor High School alumnus Fred Kerley as the standout USA Track and Field sprinter is set to compete this weekend at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men’s 100-meter in pursuit of gold.
“Everything is actually going good right now,” Kerley said last week in an interview with Oakley. “Getting prepared for the big show next Saturday and Sunday. The village is nice, the food could be better, but other than that, everything is what I expected.
It’s time to get down to the small bit of things and get ready for the big show.”
He is set to compete for at least a second Olympic medal after previously winning a silver medal in the men’s 100-meter at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a time of 9.84 seconds, edged by 0.04 by Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy. Kerley is a three-time world champion as a sprinter after winning gold in the 2019 Doha 4x400-meter relay, 2022 Eugene 100-meter and 2023 Budapest 4x100-meter relay.
He hustled his way to a third-place finish Jun. 23 in the 100-meter at the 2024 US Olympic Trials with a time of 9.88 seconds to qualify for Paris.
Kerley placed just behind Noah Lyles’ gold-medal time of 9.83 and runner-up Kenny Bednarek’s mark of 9.87.
“Competition is the best thing we do,” Kerley said in a post-race press conference about rivalries with other Team USA runners. “That’s what we’re here for is competition, so rivalries are there, but competition is what we love the best.”
Kerley will run Aug. 3 at 4:55 a.m.
CT in the first round, potentially Aug. 4 at 1:05 p.m. CT in the semifinals and at 2:50 p.m. CT in the finals.
He will run for Team USA in the first round Aug. 8 at 4:35 a.m. CT in the men’s 4x100-meter relay, and if his squad advances, will compete in the final Aug. 9 at 12:47 pm. CT.
