“Noah is really not on my level,” said Fred Kerley. Now, Kerley is not known to be someone who can keep himself away from controversies. After all, his fallout with ASICS has been a well-known fiasco in the track realm. In a recent segment of The Pivot Podcast, Kerley fired some fresh shots at Noah Lyles. When reminded of the fact that Lyles has an Olympic gold, Kerley remained unfazed. Olympic gold or not, Noah Lyles still got a long way to go before he matches up to him. And while this controversy is still pretty much alive, Noah Lyles himself decided to add more fuel to the fire. 

Appearing on the Beyond The Records podcast, Lyles made it quite personal. Being diagnosed with asthma in childhood, the Olympic champion did not have an easy route to success either. Day in and day out, Lyles had to take care of his asthma attacks and also balance his dreams of becoming a track legend. After all, who can forget his vigorous panting on the track as he won the 200m bronze in Paris? Thus, according to Lyles, each athlete has a lot on their plate to deal with. But what did the track sensation have to say about Kerley?

Speaking on the Fred Kerley topic, Lyles stated that Kerley can say whatever he wants to. Lyles acknowledged the Olympic bronze medalist’s words and immediately pointed out his own struggles. He stated, “you’re right i never went through that just as much as he never was staying up in the hospital every night with asthma.” Lyles continued saying how he had no idea about whether he would be able to live to see another day or not. 

“So yeah I’m not built like you and you’re not built like me and I’m perfectly fine with that,” Lyles opined. Surely, these were some strong words coming from Noah Lyles. And such an interaction also means that the heat between the two will also increase significantly. Back during his interview, Kerley claimed that Lyles has fewer wins than him at the highest level. Kerley even asked Lyles for a rematch stating that he was dealing with a lot of mental stuff to focus properly. Surprisingly, this was not the only statement coming from Fred Kerley about Noah Lyles. He also called Lyles his ‘enemy!’

Fred Kerley ignites rift with Noah Lyles after Olympic loss

Fred Kerley isn’t holding back after settling for bronze in the 100m final at the Paris Olympics, calling out fellow American Noah Lyles and labeling Team USA’s sprint dynamic as more combative than collaborative.

Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, Kerley opened up about his disappointment despite making the podium. Kerley admitted, “Me getting a medal at the Olympic Games is no failure, but I know I’m worth more than what I did.” His words hinted at frustration over not securing gold. While acknowledging the difficulty of competing at the Olympics, he didn’t shy away from owning his expectations. Fred added, “Nothing is given at the Olympics… but you know what you’re capable of accomplishing.”

The conversation quickly turned tense when Kerley was asked about his relationship with Lyles. “I think I saw Noah probably like once or twice, and that once or twice is probably the opening ceremony and probably the party,” he said. He then made it clear the bond many assumed between the two was nothing more than performance. “Everybody is really enemies, you know what I’m saying?” Fred Kerley’s raw comments cast a sharp spotlight on the fractured dynamic within Team USA’s sprint ranks. Is all of these hinting at a new brewing rivalry? What are your thoughts?