Golden Grand Prix 2023: "Up for any challenge" - Fred Kerley looks past Japan and Marcell Jacobs to target double gold in Budapest
The reigning world champion is set for his first 100m of the season on Sunday, ahead of the fast-approaching Diamond League showdown vs the Italian double Olympic champion.
Athletics
Fred Kerley is looking right past Marcell Jacobs - and to this year's World Athletics Championships.
As if to say 'Marcell who', Kerley told the media on Saturday (20 May) in Yokohama on the eve of Sunday's Golden Grand Prix, that his sights are set on the 19-27 August track and field worlds in Budapest and not on Jacobs or any other particular athlete or competition.
“I’m up for any challenge but my main goal is Budapest,” Kerley said, when asked about the upcoming Diamond League match-up against Italy’s double Olympic champion.
“Every small step is leading up to the world championships this year so every meet I go to is all about execution - getting the right movements, right motion for the big meet in Budapest.
“The bigger goal is double gold at the world championships. If I do everything right that’s what I want to end up with - a double gold.”
Kerley is in Japan for his first 100 metres of the 2023 season, at Sunday’s Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.
The last time Kerley was in the country he took second to Jacobs in the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021.
Kerley won the world title in Eugene, Oregon, last year, improving his personal best to 9.76, as Jacobs pulled out hurt in the semi-finals.
The big rematch is scheduled twice for the Diamond League series this season, the first on 28 May in Rabat, Morocco, and then five days later in Florence, Italy. Ramping up the hype are the social media jabs Kerley and Jacobs have been throwing at each other.
Kerley said his off-season has been productive and is expecting a fast race right off the bat of the campaign on Sunday.
“Execution for tomorrow should be a nice and fast one. My game plan is to execute the race and once I do that I know it’s going to be fast,” he said.
“Preparation has been going good, training has been going good. My coach put me in good training sessions for the tie here.”