American sprint sensation Fred Kerley has reignited his rivalry with Noah Lyles, boldly claiming the Olympic champion is not on his level.
The two American sprinters have feuded since their early days as rising stars in the track and field world.
Kerley, Paris 2024 bronze medalist, cited his consistency and resilience as proof he’s superior to Olympic champion Noah Lyles.
He criticized Netflix’s Sprint docuseries for portraying him as the villain and making Noah Lyles look like the hero.
“Noah is really not on my level…I’m telling you now, the dude is not on my level. He got the gold, that’s what it said but go and look at the record book and look who got more wins,” Fred Kerley said in an interview on the Pivot podcast.
“I’ll leave it like that. He won the Olympics, but the pressure is different, and I’m dealing with more than he is.. That mental stuff is not really real, I’m telling you, he’s not built like me.”
The Olympic 100m bronze medallist also revealed that the Sprint production crew followed him throughout the season but failed to highlight what he expected.
“If they actually put everything in the videos…I talk, that’s not their reality on TV, I definitely talk and would not stop talking badly,” Fred Kerley shared.
“I talk badly behind the call room and all that stuff. That’s what they want to show, there’s more to that stuff because they followed me around but that’s what they wanted to show to the world.”
The American also addressed the personal struggles that have marked his 2025 season. In January, police officers arrested Kerley in Miami Beach following a confrontation. The incident reportedly stemmed from a disagreement near his parked car. His estranged wife, Angelica Kerley, also accused him of domestic violence.
“I did what people do in a lifetime in three months. I won a silver medal, ran 9.7 seconds, did that in three months in a year. Became the world champion in a year and a half and people ain’t been on my level. I’m more than special.”
Kerley began his 2025 season with wins at Trojan Invite, Texas Relays, but placed seventh at Jamaica’s Grand Slam opener.