4 years ago, three American sprinters gave the US a 100m Worlds sweep on home soil. Fred Kerley surged to win the title, while a compatriot placed third behind him. Fast forward to 2026, the same compatriot competed at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix this weekend, and Kerley greeted him with a little jab. Was it meant in the same brotherly affection? That’s food for thought.

Trayvon Bromell competed in the men’s 300m at the NB Indoor Grand Prix on Sunday alongside veteran runners. While Jereem Richards dominated that race in 32.14 seconds, Noah Lyles settled for second place with a 32.15, and Vernon Norwood followed in third with 32.38 on the clock. But what about Bromell?

Bromell finished dead last, clocking a time of 35.36, despite having the best reaction time (0.147s). The reason? “Hey y’all, post 300, I feel my chest on the ground. I don’t know what went wrong. You’ll never see me do it again,” Bromell shared a candid video explaining his exhaustion and captioned it, “Time to get back to the 60.”

This drew a pointer remark from Fred Kerley on Travis Miller’s X post featuring Bromell’s clip. “@TrayvonBromell you said that after 4by4 6 year ago,” Kerley’s reminded for his former USA teammate.

Well, Fred Kerley’s reaction could have possibly been plain friendly banter. Presumably because the two seem to have shared a close relationship in the past. Back in 2025 when Bromell returned to the Rome Diamond league lineup, Kerley posted a story in support, writing, “my brother back let, get it.”

As for Bromell’s 300m struggle, he has been a short-sprint athlete throughout his career. So the 300 could have been overwhelming for him. Also, he has undergone two surgeries to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon previously, so running longer distances could increase the chances of strain.

Although, this wasn’t Bromell’s first race of the season. Prior to this Boston run, Bromell ran at the Texas Tech Corky Classic in Lubbock. The race was an indoor 200m, and he blistered through the field, posting a 20.98, finishing first. So, maybe Kerley’s comment was just for the laughs. After all, on the track, Kerley himself has a fairly diverse resume across sprint events.

Fred Kerley’s versatility is often unmatched

Fred Kerley might be a former World Champion in the 100m, but his history in the sport says how adaptable he is. In the 400m, he has a personal best of 43.64 seconds. This mark has stood since 2019 and still places him as the tenth fastest man in history over the distance.

The same year in Doha, at the World Championships, he stood tall in the distance and achieved not one but two medals. At first, he took the bronze medal in the 400m running a 44.17, and then with the 4x400m relay team, he helped the United States to secure the gold medal, as they ran 2:56.69.

Even at the 2017 US Championships, Fred Kerley secured the 400m title, running a time of 44.03 seconds. Clearly, he has the ability to run various track distance, unlike Bromell, who looks more comfortable with short sprints.