Kerley against World Championship Medalist at BAUHAUS-galan

In the men's 100m, Fred Kerley, the fastest man in the world in 2022, will be challenged by Letsile Tebogo, silver medalist in 2023. Behind them, Swedish record holder Henrik Larsson is also in pursuit.

The 100m at the Olympic stadium in Stockholm has a rich history. The stadium record, 9.84, was set 14 years ago by Tyson Gay, the world champion in 2007 and the second fastest man of all time. This year, another world champion, American Fred Kerley, will grace the stadium.

In 2022, Fred Kerley was just seven hundreds of a second away from Gay's American record. At the U.S. Trials, he clocked 9.76, the sixth-fastest time ever. Barely three weeks later, he capped off the season by becoming the world champion on home soil in Eugene.

Although the following year was a disappointment, Kerley still clinched a gold medal at the World Championships in the relay. This year, he is gearing up for the Olympics and will compete at the Bauhaus-galan. There, he will face off against Botswana's young sprinter, Letsile Tebogo.

Last year, Tebogo won silver in the 100m at the World Championships and bronze in the 200m. He also shattered the Botswana record with a time of 9.88, placing him sixth among African sprinters of all time. 2024 has started in the same vein, and here's what he had to say ahead of the BAUHAUS-galan:

– My 2024 season has started in a fantastic way with personal bests and World leading results in 300 m (30.69) and 400 m (44.29) and also a WL in 200 m, this in my first three races of the year.  This show that my training has gone very well, and it had also built on my confidence towards the Olympic Games in Paris.

Behind these giants, the Swedish record holder Henrik Larsson also enters the fray. Last summer, Larsson finally broke the Swedish record, and last winter, he followed it up by reaching the final at the indoor World Championships. On June 2nd at the Olympic stadium, he will once again face the world elite.

– My goal is to make it to the Olympics. If possible. I'll do my utmost. The easiest would be to meet the direct qualifying standard. It's around 10.00 or 9.99, says Henrik and continues:

– If I get a bit lucky with the winds, it could help, meaning 1.0-2.0 m/s tailwind. Running sub 10 isn't impossible.