Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley was slated to be a headliner at Sunday’s USATF New York Metropolis Grand Prix within the males’s 100m. Nevertheless, Kerley didn’t find yourself racing after he slipped within the beginning blocks twice. Regardless of these mishaps, he selected to not race.
In a post-race interview with Citius Magazine, Kerley stated that certainly one of his beginning block pads was damaged, and he had requested new blocks. “I slipped the primary time, after which I slipped the second time. I wasn’t about to let it occur a 3rd time,” Kerley stated.
“I used to be requesting new blocks. Considered one of my pads was damaged. I slipped the primary time, after which I slipped the second time, and never about to have it occur a 3rd time”
Fred Kerley on what occurred at first of the NYC Grand Prix 100mpic.twitter.com/rEUnHuYDAd
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) June 9, 2024
He took to Twitter after the race to criticize the World Athletics Continental Tour meet for utilizing “highschool stage blocks.”
The 100m on the NYC Grand Prix ended up being received by Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike, with a ten.24 second clocking right into a -0.7 m/s headwind.
This race was presupposed to be Kerley’s first 100m since he publicly acknowledged he’d break Usain Bolt’s world file the subsequent time he raced the space. Kerley has not competed within the 100m because the Shanghai Diamond League on April 27 and has not but damaged the 10-second mark this season.
Kerley has a private better of 9.76 seconds from the 2022 World Championships, which he received. He’s additionally the reigning Olympic silver medallist within the 100 metres.
BREAKING: Simply heard again from a spokesperson for ASICS after Fred Kerley’s look on the New York Metropolis Grand Prix carrying competitor spikes:
Assertion: “ASICS and Fred Kerley have mutually parted methods and he’s now not an ASICS sponsored athlete. We want him the very best in… pic.twitter.com/3utH4wOPop
— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) June 9, 2024
Earlier than the race, Kerley drew consideration within the warm-up space at Icahn Stadium, the place he was noticed carrying Puma spikes (as an alternative of his sponsor, Asics). It got here out after the race that Kerley is now with no sponsor, as Asics introduced that they’d mutually parted methods with him after reaching a multi-year deal simply final 12 months. There was no official assertion on why the sponsorship ended, however Kerley was rumoured to be annoyed with the customized “world champion” spikes the model made for him.
The 29-year-old plans to compete within the 100m and 200m on the U.S. Olympic Trials in two weeks.
