On Feb. 4, the New Steadiness Grand Prix in Boston will witness a showdown between two of the quickest males on the earth because the reigning 2022 world 100m champion, Fred Kerley, joins the lads’s 60m discipline. This units the stage for an electrifying assembly between Kerley and the present world 100m champion, Noah Lyles.
This can be Kerley’s debut within the 60m distance and his first look on the New Steadiness Indoor Grand Prix, a Gold Label occasion inside the World Athletics Indoor Tour. It has been three years since Kerley final raced indoors (a 400m).
Lower than a month to go and issues are heating up in Boston 🌡️
– @fkerley99 debuts at 60m and takes on @LylesNoah
– World record-holder Lamecha Girma makes #NBIGP debut
– Native favourite Elle St. Pierre returns to BostonSee you Feb 4!#WorldIndoorTour
— NB Indoor Grand Prix (@NBIndoorGP) January 9, 2024
The choice to take part provides anticipation to Kerley’s conflict with Lyles. The 2 sprinters haven’t competed in opposition to one another since 2022. Regardless of securing an automated qualification spot for the 2023 World Athletics Championships together with his world 100m win in 2022, Kerley didn’t run the 100m on the 2023 U.S. Trials, sidestepping a possible showdown with Lyles, who was aiming to qualify for the U.S. workforce.
Lyles is the reigning 60m champion on the New Steadiness Grand Prix, operating a private better of 6.51 seconds final yr. He holds an undefeated streak within the occasion over his final six races. He’s additionally coming off the perfect monitor season of his profession, the place he received the dash double (100m/200m) on the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and was honoured because the World Athletics Male Observe Athlete of the 12 months.
The rivalry between Kerley and Lyles has not solely performed out on the monitor but in addition in verbal exchanges. Kerley took a jab at Lyles when discussing the required time to win worlds in Budapest, saying, “If Noah’s going to run 9.65, then I’m operating quicker.” In response, Lyles mentioned, “That’s what all of them say, ’til they get beat.” The tables turned on the 2023 World Athletics Championships, the place Kerley bowed out within the semi-finals, and Lyles had the final snicker, profitable gold.
Regardless of their aggressive banter, the 2 sprinters final shared the monitor to assist the U.S. males’s workforce win a world title within the 4x100m relay. Their face-off on the 2024 New Steadiness Grand Prix might predict the early favorite to win on the U.S. Olympic Trials in July. It guarantees to be an unforgettable race.