The Diamond League in Paris saw history being written by Fred Kerley. The 26-year-old American sprinter once again showed why he is on top of the track and field competitions. After winning a silver medal in the 100-meter race in Tokyo, he was destined for great things. The men’s 200-meter race at Diamond League Paris saw him finishing first which resulted in a photo finish. Kerley created a personal best as he went past Yohan Blake in the best combined times of 100/200/400 races.
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Fred Kerley creates a unique record
It’s rare to see an athlete excel in all three distances. Some athletes excel in 100/200; likewise, some excel in 200/400. However, to have the ability to produce fine performances in all three competitions is a remarkable feat. Kerley is slowly reaching that stage where history might be made in Paris.
He went past Yohan Blake in the all-time list of combined total times in the three races. Significantly, he has a better time in the 400-meters when compared with Usain Bolt; the greatest athlete of all time.
| 3867 | Usain Bolt | 9.58 (1356) | 19.19 (1351) | 45.28 (1160) |
| 3815 | Michael Johnson | 10.09 (1176) | 19.32 (1329) | 43.18 (1310) |
| 3813 | Michael Norman | 9.86 (1255) | 19.70 (1268) | 43.45 (1290) |
| 3793 | Wayde van Niekerk | 9.94 (1227) | 19.84 (1245) | 43.03 (1321) |
| 3791 | Fred Kerley | 9.84 (1262) | 19.79 (1253) | 43.64 (1276) |
| 3790 | Tyson Gay | 9.69 (1316) | 19.58 (1287) | 44.89 (1187) |
| 3745 | Yohan Blake | 9.69 (1316) | 19.26 (1339) | 46.32 (1090) |
| 3698 | Xavier Carter | 10.00 (1206) | 19.63 (1279) | 44.53 (1213) |
| 3715 | Kenny Bednarek | 9.89 (1245) | 19.68 (1271) | 44.73 (1199) (A) |
| 3668 | Mike Marsh | 9.93 (1231) | 19.73 (1263) | 45.08 (1174) |
Definition of a photo finish. #ParisDL
19.79 (.784) Fred Kerley
19.79 (.789) Kenny Bednarek pic.twitter.com/N3NCrRpR9l— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) August 28, 2021
By setting a time of 19.79 in the recent 200-meter race at Diamond League, Paris, Kerley went ahead of the Jamaican sprinter, Blake. But how can he rewrite history in Paris?
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Kerley can win all the three races
As the Tokyo Olympics got delayed because of the pandemic, athletes got more time to recover and be fit. Nonetheless, things will be different in Paris. The Olympics starts in 2024 giving lesser time for athletes to prepare.
via Reuters
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 100m – Semifinal – OLS – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan ? August 1, 2021. Fred Kerley of the United States, Andre De Grasse of Canada, Yohan Blake of Jamaica, Tlotliso Leotlela of South Africa and Usheoritse Itsekiri of Nigeria in action during Semifinal 1 REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Despite all that, Fred Kerley would be the man to beat. He dropped to the 100/200-meters this year in a bid to win medals. After that, he ended up winning the silver medal in the 100-meter race with an explosive run. But if you combine all the three, Kerley can actually win all three events in three years in Paris as he will be in his prime. Michael Norman, Wayde van Niekerk, and Fred Kerley are the only athletes to have come under 10s in 100, 20s in 200, 44s in 400. That’s a unique record to have.
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He has the world at his feet and can make history in Paris. Kerley is a generational talent and people need to watch him closely because he looks destined for the star.
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