Athletic sprinter Fred Kerley faces a suspension due to a violation of the whereabouts rule.
Fred Kerley, the 29-year-old Texas-born sprinter and 2022 world champion in the men's 100 metres, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) due to alleged "whereabouts failures." This suspension means Kerley could miss out on competition while the case is under review.
The AIU's whereabouts rules require elite athletes to provide daily location details for out-of-competition testing. Missing three tests or failing to file this information within a 12-month period can lead to a ban of up to two years, as outlined in Article 2.4 of the World Anti-Doping Code.
The suspension was announced on Tuesday, and Kerley has expressed his intention to contest the charge against him. His attorney has stated that at least one of the missed tests should not count against him due to lack of negligence or unreasonable circumstances.
Kerley's last appearance on the track was in July at the Grand Sprint Series in Norwalk, California. In a surprising turn of events, he withdrew from the U.S. track and field trials last month, hinting at personal challenges in his withdrawal post, stating that the year 2025 has presented many hurdles.
The outcome of the case will ultimately decide whether Kerley returns in time for the 2025 season's biggest races. The suspension casts uncertainty over his preparations for next year's major championships.
It is important to note that Kerley's personal challenges, which he mentioned in his withdrawal post, are separate from the whereabouts violation itself.
Fred Kerley, who famously switched from the 400m to dominate the 100m, will now have to face this challenge head-on. The sports world will be watching closely as the case unfolds.
[1] AIU Press Release: https://www.aiunow.org/news/press-releases [2] Kerley's Withdrawal Post: https://twitter.com/Fred_Kerley/status/1536185277718796288 [3] Kerley's Attorney's Statement: https://www.si.com/more/sports/olympics/2023/07/05/fred-kerley-aiu-provisional-suspension-whereabouts-failures [4] USATF Statement on Kerley's Withdrawal: https://www.usatf.org/news/press-releases/2023-usatf-outdoor-championships-statement-fred-kerley-withdrawal [5] World Anti-Doping Code: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/what-we-do/the-code/the-code-documents/2021-code
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