By Chris Chavez
September 26, 2023
2022 100m world champion and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley announced he has parted ways with Alleyne Francique and will train under Quincy Watts in California in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Kerley announced the coaching switch on Instagram with a post that read: “Choosing to make changes is always risky, even riskier during a year like the Olympics. I felt that I needed to bet on myself. I needed to prove to myself that I was all in and that meant seeking the guidance of COACH WATTS. I’m entrusting him to bring out the best version of myself in the most important athletic year of my career. Ya’ll ready?”
– Watts, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the 400m, is an assistant coach at USC but also coaches 400m hurdles Olympic silver medalist and American record holder Rai Benjamin.
– Kerley and Watts have connected as NCAA 400m record holders. Watts held the NCAA record of 44.00 for 25 years before Kerley ran 43.70 to break the record at the 2017 NCAA West Track and Field Regional in Austin, Texas.
– Kerley is making the change after failing to make the 100m final at the world championships in Budapest. He finished fourth in the U.S. Outdoor Championships 200m final and missed qualifying for the event in Budapest by .01 seconds. He finished the year with season’s bests of 9.88 for 100m and 19.86 for 200m.
Other top sprinters are on the move
– Earlier this month, Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs announced he decided to part ways with coach Paolo Camossi, who worked with him since 2015. Jacobs is moving to Jacksonville, Florida to train under Rana Reider. Jacobs struggled with injuries in 2022 and didn’t quite find his top form in 2023. He did not break 10 seconds for the 100m all season and was eliminated in the semifinals at the world championships in Budapest.
– 2022 100m World Championship silver medalist Marvin Bracy-Williams had a rocky 2023 season and was knocked out of the U.S. Championships in the heats of the 100m. In the middle of the season, he left Reider’s training group in Jacksonville and is now working with coach Dennis Mitchell in Clermont, Florida. Mitchell’s training group includes 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson and 200m Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek.
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
