"Like literally did that. And we ain't talking about spike" - Fred Kerley speaks after Noah Lyles expresses desire to have his own sneaker line 

Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley are not exactly the best of friends when it comes to the 100m or matters off the track. Kerley, the men's Olympic 100m bronze medalist has now made some remarks, in an apparent response to Lyles' recent comments about wanting a line of sneakers.

Talking about his own line of sneakers on X (formerly Twitter), Kerley wrote:

"People talking about making sneakers in track I already did that. Like literally did that. And we ain't talking about spike."

Lyles had recently talked about wanting a line of sneakers named for him, after winning the Olympic gold medal in the men's 100m at the Paris Olympics. During a press conference at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he said:

"I want my own shoe. I want a sneaker.....Ain't no money in spikes. Even Michael Johnson didn't have a sneaker."

The two sprinters have been racing each other for a few years now. Kerley and Lyles first clashed at the US Olympic trials for the Tokyo Olympics 2021. In 2022, Lyles was beaten narrowly by Kerley at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

At the Paris Olympics 2024, Lyles took the 100m Olympic title while Kerley took finished third. The two Americans were split by Kisane Thompson of Jamaica.

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Fred Kerley's performance at the Paris Olympics

Fred Kerley [Extreme right] in action during the men's 100m finals at the Paris Olympics [Image: Getty]

Fred Kerley came into the Paris Olympics 2024 as a strong contender for an Olympic gold medal. His personal best in the 100m was 9.76 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in history. Noah Lyles meanwhile was seen as a contender for a podium finish.

Fred Kerley had jointly topped the heats along with Kenny Bednarek with a timing of 9.97 seconds. He stood second in the semifinal heats with 9.84s, behind Kishane Thompson of Jamaica who clocked 9.80s.

The final of the men's 100m came down to a photo finish, where Noah Lyles edged out Thompson by 0.005 seconds for the Olympic gold. Kerley clocked a seasonal best of 9.81 seconds to win the bronze medal.

He was also part of the USA's team for the men's 4x100m relay, where the team was disqualified in the final for an illegal baton exchange between Kenny Bednarek and Christian Coleman.