Since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Jacobs and Kerley have not gone head-to-head, but Jacobs was injured for much of the 2022 season.
World 100m champion Fred Kerley believes that if he and Olympic Champion Marcell Jacobs ever get to compete together, he ‘will definitely win.’
However, he bullishly said that he doesn’t know if Jacobs will show up for the competition.
10:00 - 26.04.2023
ATHLETICS Beckoning season ramps with Omanyala, Marcell Jacobs and Fred Kerley dominating talk
Social media ablaze with prospects of 100m World Champion Kerley and Olympic 100m champion Jacobs going head-to-head.
“If it happens, I will be there and I’ll definitely win. However, I don’t know if he will show up,” confident Kerley said during the press conference ahead of the Wanda Diamond League circuit opener in Doha, Qatar.
Recently, the duo has been involved in an online altercation that saw the exchange barbs. It all started when Kerley was asked on the “Sprint Culture” video podcast about Jacobs’ performance at the recent European Indoor Championships.
Jacobs was runner-up in the 60m in 6.50 seconds, ranking him seventh in the world this year. Jacobs won the world indoor 60m title last year in 6.41 seconds.
“Indoor is indoor. The real dogs come and play outdoor,” said Kerley, who last raced indoors in 2021.
Kerley was then asked if Jacobs is “a real dog” and he seemed to differ with the idea. “I don’t think so. I’m just going to be truthful,” he said.
Jacobs appeared to respond on his Instagram stories. The captions read: “The lion doesn’t turn around when a small dog barks” and “Easy run today so as not to scare small dogs.”
08:30 - 04.05.2023
ATHLETICS The stellar cast that will test Omanyala to the limit at Atlanta City Games
Africa’s fastest man will be using the 150m event to test his speed ahead of the Kip Keino Classic.
The back-and-forth continued after Jacobs posted another Instagram story, this time an image of him edging Kerley at the Tokyo Olympic 100m finish line.
“Whenever you want and wherever you want, but remember that when it mattered more it ended like this,” the caption read.
Kerley then tweeted at the account for the Diamond League and said: "Make it happen I want 1v1 no one else just him. Him alone.”
Kerley also reposted one of Jacobs’ Instagram training clips but wrote over it with a Daffy Duck.The caption read: “You are the best at ducking,” to imply that Jacobs avoids racing the world’s best sprinters.
The earliest that Kerley and Jacobs could meet in a Diamond League 100m is in Rabat, Morocco, on May 28 according to NBC Sport. Since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Jacobs and Kerley have not gone head-to-head, but Jacobs was injured for much of the 2022 season.
11:14 - 21.04.2023
OPINION Why Jacobs and Kerley's 'thrash talking' rivalry is what track and field needs
Marcell Jacobs and Fred Kerley are changing the narrative of rivalry match-ups in track and field.
At the moment, Kerley is gearing up to compete over the 200m at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha, Qatar on Friday, May 5.