Fred Kerley Olympic 100m Drama, Sydney & Noah Ready – New York Grand Prix

The USATF Grand Prix in New York was the last major update before the US Olympic Track and Field Trials which begin in less than 2 weeks.

On the track Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone clocked a 48.75 400m to show she’s ready for the trials, Noah Lyles ran 19.77 into the wind, and without it being announced Eric Holt gave Jake Wightman a race to the finish line in the 1500m, but the biggest news is what happened to the reigning Olympic 100m champions Fred Kerley And Elaine Thompson-Herah. (Race videos here)

Embed from Getty Images

First, Thompson-Herah slowed noticeably towards the end of the women’s 100m, limping as she finished last in 11.48 and had to be carried off the track. Its Olympic defense is seriously threatened.

Meanwhile, Kerley showed up on the track wearing Puma cleats (he was sponsored by Asics). After the race was canceled once for a false start, Kerley had one of the most egregious false starts we’ve ever seen. He said his blocks slipped (which they did) and eventually, instead of waiting for them to be sorted, he simply left the track barefoot with his Puma spikes in hand. Kerley told the media that he was wearing Puma cleats because there had been a mix-up with his luggage, but after the competition, when it was announced that he and Asics had parted ways, it was clear that this was not the case.

Former US national team sprinter Rae Edwards said Fred “didn’t like the spikes Asics gave him.” Rae then said that Fred once shared a video with him of his Asics spikes breaking after a workout. Fred then posted a video of himself training in Puma cleats on Instagram with the caption: “What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained.”

Meanwhile, many questions remain regarding Kerley’s status. Kerley had tweeted on May 14, “World record next time I hit the 100m,” and it was his first race since. Kerley hasn’t run faster than 10.03 in four 100m races this year.

Below we have 11 quick versions of the New York Grand Prix from Noah Jampol.

1 Fred Kerley leaves New York in dramatic fashion with more questions than answers

Before the competition, Fred projected a ton of confidence in the training he had done and his ability to run lightning-fast times like Usain Bolt’s world record. As he waited in line, it seemed like we would get some answers as to whether this confidence was justified or rather Fred’s unique and unwavering self-belief in action. But we were not to get any resolution. After a series of incidents with blockages and potential false starts, Fred opted to skip the race, explaining that he was cold and all the delays made it a business decision. Meanwhile, when he spoke to us and to Lewis Johnson, he was visibly angry. He was observed loudly calling the blocks “f-ing ret—-” and trying to avoid speaking for the NBC cameras. It must be recognized that Fred returned to speak with Lewis, greet the young fans and even speak in the mixed zone. He remains convinced that with training partners like Raï Benjamin And Michel Normand, he has no reason to worry regarding tangible results. He tore up the “elementary” blocks and insisted that he had not been disqualified but rather had made the decision himself not to run. At the very least, “Sprint” Season 2 has a moment that viewers will talk about. And to add even more drama, Fred and Asics officially split after the race. Fred was seen wearing Puma cleats during the competition, but said that in the mixed zone this was due to a mix-up with his luggage. Considering the 100m race was literally sponsored by Asics, read between the lines how that may have impacted his mindset to the point of withdrawing from the race.

2 It seems the magic of Elaine Thompson-Herah’s Olympic year is exhausted

Trackside spectators were eager to see if the tough ETH Pre-Classic was rusty or if she was having real problems fighting for the Jamaican team, let alone double glory. Today couldn’t have been worse. During one of her final strides, Thompson-Herah appeared to twist her lower leg, and she visibly tied up afterward. She was carried by support staff through the mixed zone and the question of whether we will see her racing again in 2024 is in real jeopardy.

3 Sydney McLaughin-Levrone is on a different level

Going into the race, SML was wary of her goal today. Afterwards, she was direct… Sanya Richards-Ross‘48.70 American record. She was slightly over the top, but she agreed with me that the wind may have had something to do with it. She also confirmed that her testing plan was unchanged, meaning only 400m hurdles. She said she’d have to see something “crazy” to change that, and when she pressed that point, she didn’t think today’s performance was that. I guess it makes sense that someone with a 50.68 400mH wouldn’t be easily impressed.

4. Eric Holt is no longer a dark horse

Eric Holt was contrite and honest after coming within just a few hundredths of a second after pulling off a major upset over Jake Wightman. The most surprising emotion you could read from him was his visceral disappointment after what many would call the best race of his career. He explained that before the races he was terrified of leaving his bed and letting his Empire Elite team down. When I asked Hobbs Kessler about Holt, he scoffed at the idea that Eric Holt was a “dark horse,” insisting that the only thing that set Holt apart from many flashier names was his status as godfather. After watching Holt almost win despite working hard and fending off numerous accusations, it’s hard to disagree.

5 Sage Hurta-Klecker is exactly where she needs to be

With no one keeping pace on a gusty day, the women’s 800m turned into a tactical test for some of the American contenders. Sage Hurta-Klecker passed the test, winning in 2:00.33, holding off charges from Olivia Boulanger And Sammy Watson. She confirmed today that she was all-in in the 800m, and with the question marks surrounding Ajee Wilson (a DNS today), Raevyn Rogers shape, and Athing Mu’s current health status, she seems like a good bet to make the team. A strong group of NCAA runners like Juliette Whittaker cannot be underestimated, however.

6 The US men’s 800m is wide open outside of Hoppel

Coming into this race, the time had come to Isaiah Jewett or maybe Clayton Murphy claim their favorite status to be part of the team alongside the big favorite Bryce Hoppel. The script has been completely flipped like behind Mr. ConsistencyTonatiu Lopez from Mexico it was Wes Ferguson and Josh Hoey PBing and running solid races against the biggest contenders. After the race, Clayton Murphy was angry at his tactics and said: “I ran like an idiot. » He admitted that he was training hard and it was going well, but he knows he didn’t give himself a chance today. Never count the veteran, but the college phenoms Shane Cohen And Sam Whitmarsh I have to think the top 3 is very realistic for them.

7 Devynne Charlton scores a signature victory

Devynne Charlton had the indoor season of his life, setting a world record and winning indoor gold. Outdoors, she appears to be picking up where she left off with a 12.56 win into a -1.9 headwind. Somewhat surprisingly for a 60mH star, she highlighted her debut as an area for improvement. Behind her, Tobi Amusan And Alaysha Johnson were very satisfied with their race while Keni Harrison she was sure she would bounce back. Tonea Marshall, who had an excellent season with 7 under 12.50 times, was a DNS.

₈ Trey Cunningham is firmly back in the mix

Trey Cunningham was happy to land a second consecutive W after running 13.12 in Jamaica. When I asked him about the two NCAA guys who ran in the 13.20 range on Friday, his wariness was noticeable. He knows making this team will be tough and there are a ton of names in the mix after the obvious guys like Grant Holloway And Daniel Roberts.

9 Wayde Van Niekerk is heading in the right direction, Kirani James is ageless

I did not have the opportunity to speak with Kirani James, but it’s worth considering how impressive its longevity has been. When healthy over the last 13 years, he has a good chance of finishing 1st or 2nd in almost every race he enters. Compared to the other guys on the field, Wayde Van Niekerk The season opener in the 400m was solid with a 44.74 run on a windy day. Last year, Van Niekerk rode very well on the circuit before having a difficult performance in Budapest. This year, he and coach Lance Brauman aim to train throughout the season and peak for Worlds. Hearing Wayde talk about his joy in the sport and having to work so hard to run times that he once found to be light work was very enlightening.

10 Gabby Thomas is doing great

Gabby Thomas was impressive today, coming back from an 11.34 (-2.1) 100 to run 22.42 into a huge 3.1 headwind. She admitted after the race that she was very happy to bounce back from a disappointing Los Angeles Grand Prix. During this specific training block, she said she never competed well. Tamara Clark had performed well this season (22.21 SB), so the 0.37 margin of victory was strong. Gabby also says she and her coach tweaked the plan this year in an effort to lower her best times in Paris, having run 21.6 in Eugene twice, but was a little behind in the world final.

11 There’s no doubt about Noah Lyles right now

After missing seeing Fred Kerley, the crowd was eager to see Noah do his thing. Despite similar issues with blocks, Noah was unfazed and was the class of the field wire-to-wire. Even scarier for its competitors? He admitted he backed off at the turn out of caution before opening the score in the final 50 meters. Although the wind didn’t cooperate to reach the 19.4-5 he was aiming for, Noah said that even with his eyes on Paris, it was going to drop. a huge moment in Eugene.

Are you missing the competition and just want to watch some racing videos? Here we have race videos from the 2024 New York Grand Prix.