'I Feel Empty Inside' – Fred Kerley Speaks After Joining Enhanced Games, Reflects on His Evolution From 400m to 100m

Olympic 100 bronze medallist Fred Kerley has opened up about his switch to the 100 and hinted at the major reason he opted to sign with the Enhanced Games.

Fred Kerley was a formidable 400m runner before he made the bold decision to move to the 100m, where he has maintained his dominance until recently, when he announced his decision to join the Enhanced Games.

The former world champion’s announcement came shortly after he received a provisional suspension from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for an anti-doping whereabouts violation.

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Fred Kerley reflected that the COVID year completely reshaped his development as an athlete, saying it taught him everything he needed to know and ultimately altered the trajectory of his career.

He explained that while training in the Bahamas, his late friend and the friend’s coach had suggested that he consider switching to the 100m, noting how much ground he was covering in training.

Fred Kerley added that despite the postponement of the Olympics to 2021, he had spent the entire period from the COVID-affected season through to 2021 preparing for the 400m, underscoring how unexpected the eventual shift in his sprinting focus truly was.

“Then I broke my ankle, and I couldn't get around the turns or anything like that. Something just clicked like that day of training. I'm just going to stay on the straightaway. No do no turns, no nothing,” Fred Kerley shared in an interview with Project Wellbeing.

“So, I just stay on the straightaway doing 120s on the straights and stuff in there, just covering ground. Then, like two weeks later, my coach and I, down in um Florida, I ran at his track meet, ran 10.1 twice. The following week I did it again 100.”

Fred Kerley revealed that he also ran 10.00 seconds, and then dropped below 10 seconds, which convinced him to fully commit to the 100m.

He explained that although he had run some 400m races overseas, his instincts told him that the time to focus on the 100m had arrived, and if he didn’t seize the moment, it might never happen.

The former Olympic 100m silver medallist added that he had discussed the decision with another coach, who preferred he continue with the 400m, but deep down he knew that distance no longer suited him.

He described it as an awakening to the 100m, saying that ever since that moment, he had dedicated himself entirely to the sprint, confident in his speed and aware that he had made history that day.

“When I did that conversion that year, everybody doubted me. Why would you leave your best event to go to some unknown land, but people forget to be elite and be the best, you got to think like you're the best,” he added.

“If you don't have that mindset of thinking like you're the best, why are you even doing the thing? I know I'm the best. I know I'm the greatest. So, there's no one's gonna stop my mindset of not being great.

“And if I don't believe in me, then who? So, I believe in myself wholeheartedly and stuff. But the year changed my projection over my track career. So, when I switched to the 100, it changed my evolution in my career and got me to greater heights. Got me some good things. I ran the time that people did in their lifetime in less than like seven to eight weeks and became an Olympic silver medallist.”

Fred Kerley reflected on the significance of his achievements, noting that some of the sport’s greats do not even have Olympic medals, and if they are considered the greatest, he felt entitled to claim the same recognition.

He emphasised that accomplishing a lot of things in less than a year and a half showed his potential, suggesting that if he had focused solely on the 100m from the start, there would be no limits to what he could achieve and no telling where his career could go.

However, he added that competing in the normal circuit comes with a lot of pressure, where people always expect him to perform well every time he steps on the track. He also opened up about being compared to other athletes from when he used to compete in the 400m.

“My body feels young, and it's just like I know I'm about to change the sport forever. I feel empty inside, and the reason why I feel empty inside is like what's next. In our sport, comparison is a thing. I did achieve all that because I already knew I could,” he added.

“The medals and stuff don't mean anything to me because at the end of the day, the medals come and go, but my legacy is going to live forever, so when I say I feel empty inside, it's just like in our sports, you've got to do better.”

Fred Kerley further reflected on the personal significance of his achievements, noting that he had accomplished something no one else in his family had ever.

Since joining the Enhanced Games, he has remained focused on running a world record and leaving a lasting impact on the sport.