Led by Fred Kerley, the US sprinters take gold, silver and bronze. The title is a salvation for the new world champion.
Suddenly, Fred Kerley’s voice shook, he almost burst into tears. At the moment of his greatest triumph, the new sprint king went all soft because he had to think about where he came from – and who he owes everything to: his aunt Virginia.
“She sacrificed her life for me and my brothers, sisters and cousins,” said Kerley after racing to the longed-for gold in 9.86 seconds at his home World Championships in Eugene: “I think of her every day. If she If it hadn’t been for that, I probably wouldn’t be speaking to you right now.”
13 children in one bedroom
Kerley’s story is an American dream, the 27-year-old fought his way up from the bottom and now sits on the sprint throne. “It’s a great feeling to have achieved something,” said Kerley, who was never given anything for free, who had to earn everything: “Not many people in my position have achieved what I have achieved.”
Kerley was adopted by his aunt when he was two, along with his four siblings, after his father ended up in prison and his mother “had gone astray in life,” as Kerley put it. The aunt then raised 13 children, not everyone was always fed, as a teenager Kerley almost ended up in prison. “We had one bedroom, 13 of us in one bedroom,” Kerley recalled, but, “At the end of the day it was like any other house, we were all having fun – and we’re doing great stuff now.”