Fred Kerley reacts to Noah Lyles' controversial last-moment inclusion in 4X400m relay finals at World Athletics Indoor Championships

Fred Kerley has responded to Noah Lyles competing in the 4X400m relay finals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024 in Glasgow.

After clinching a silver medal in the 60m sprint event earlier on the first day of the Championships, Lyles made an unexpected appearance in the men’s 4X400m relay event for the USA. Despite his lack of experience in the event, Lyles was chosen to compete in the relay by the USATF, the national governing body for the sport of Athletics in the USA.

The USA team, comprising Jacory Patterson, Matthew Boling, Lyles, and Christopher Bailey went on to win the silver medal, clocking 3:02.60, behind team Belgium, which ran a world-leading performance of 3:02.54.

This move by the USATF to include Noah Lyles not just surprised fans but also athletes. The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist in the 100m, Fred Kerley, was one of the athletes who took to X and criticized the USATF for its favoritism in the sport.

Kerley, the world's eighth-fastest man in the 400m, stated:

“@usatf y’all play that favoritism like mf. Yall like puppets. For sure yes man”

After achieving a treble by winning the 100m, 200m, and 4X100m at the World Athletics Championships 2023, Lyles had expected his desire to be a part of the USA’s men’s 4X400m relay team for the Paris Olympics 2024.

In an interview with French sports daily L'Equipe, he mentioned about the same, stating:

“I’ve never had somebody tell me something that has thrown my out-of-the-box thinking to inside-the-box, but that was like: okay, I’m not going to say no to that. Because after what I did at Budapest and seeing what my body can handle, if I train for it, okay, let’s take a shot.”

“It’s the last race [400m relay], there’s nothing to lose. If I’m in shape for it and I’ve trained for it all year, sure, let's take a crack at it. If they allow me, if they need me and they are willing – let’s go, let’s take it,” Lyles added.

Noah Lyles is a former World U20 champion

Noah Lyles from the USA celebrates victory in the Men's 100-meter final at the IAAF World U20 Championships 2016. (Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images)

Noah Lyles, known for his exploits in Athletics at the senior level, is also a two-time World U20 champion, having won the 100m and 4X100m relay event at the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2016.

Lyles clinched the 100m gold as he registered a time of 10.17s in the finals of the competition on July 20. He was a key member of the USA's 4X100m relay team, alongside Michael Norman Jr., Hakim Montgomery, and Brandon Taylor, who won gold.

Lyles ran the last leg as the USA team clocked a sensational world U20 leading mark in the finals.