Fred Kerley leads U.S. medals sweep of men’s 100m at track worlds

Fred Kerley is the world champion in the 100m, completing an extraordinary journey to the title of world’s fastest man.

Kerley, the 27-year-old American who took silver at the Tokyo Olympics, won the crown jewel event of the world track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday night. He prevailed in 9.86 seconds, leading a U.S. medals sweep ahead of Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell, who each ran 9.88.

It marked the U.S.’ first medals sweep in the world men’s 100m since 1991 and the first in any event at worlds since 2007.

Kerley overtook Bracy to his left in the final 10 meters.

The same Fred Kerley who was considered a 400m sprinter up until the start of last year. The same Fred Kerley who nine years ago walked onto the track team at South Plains community college. The same Fred Kerley who might never have pursued sprinting had he not broken his collarbone in the last football game of his high school career in Texas.

The same Fred Kerley who has the words “Aunt” and “Meme” tattooed inside his biceps.

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.@fkerley99 is the fastest man in the world! @TeamUSA | #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/w8cNSITGgy

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) July 17, 2022

“I was two when I first moved in with her, a toddler who didn’t know what was happening around him,” Kerley wrote in 2019. “My Dad ended up in jail, my Mom took wrong turns in life, which meant Aunt Virginia was the only one who could take care of me and my four siblings. Meme – as she is better known – brought up her kids, her brother’s kids and us, with 13 children all living under the same roof. She also brought up the two or three generations after me, and she’s still raising them now – 25