US sprinter Fred Kerley announced Monday he is changing coaches ahead of the 2024 Olympics after failing to defend his 100m crown at last month’s World Championships.
Kerley, who won gold in the 100m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and silver in the Tokyo Olympics two years ago, said he will now be coached by 1992 Olympic 400m champion Quincy Watts in Los Angeles.
The 28-year-old Texan, who failed to make the 100m final at the World Championships in Budapest in August, had previously been coached by Alleyne Francique.
“Choosing to make changes is always risky, even riskier during a year like the Olympics,” Kerley wrote in a post on Instagram.
“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, a coach at the University of Southern California, also coaches US 400m hurdles star Rai Benjamin.
