Athletic star Kerley faces provisional suspension due to infraction in reporting location data
Fred Kerley, the American sprinter who won the 100m world title in 2022, is currently facing a challenging period. Kerley has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing to comply with his anti-doping whereabouts obligations. He has also been arrested twice in Miami, once in January and another in early May.
In January, Kerley was accused and prosecuted for domestic violence against the mother of his children. He pleaded not guilty in the case. The second arrest occurred in May, following an altercation at the official hotel for athletes competing in the Grand Slam Track series. The details of this incident are not yet publicly known.
Kerley, who is 30 years old, has had a successful career in athletics. He won the Diamond League championship in 2018 at 400m and took silver in the 100m event at the Tokyo Olympics. Last year, he added bronze to his Olympic medal collection at Paris. In 2022, he won the 100m world title on home soil at Eugene in a personal best time of 9.76 seconds.
Recently, Kerley has shifted his focus from running the 400m to running the 100m. This shift seems to be paying off, as he won the 100m world title in 2022. However, his recent legal and sporting issues have cast a shadow over his achievements.
Elite athletes are required to inform anti-doping officials about their locations and provide a time and location each day for unannounced doping tests. Three failures within a year to comply with these requirements can result in punishment. Kerley intends to contest the violation ruling, citing that one or more of his missed tests should be set aside due to non-negligence or unreasonable actions by the Doping Control Officer.
It is worth noting that another top US sprinter, Christian Coleman, served an 18-month suspension in 2020 for whereabouts failures. As of 2025, there is no current evidence to suggest that Coleman himself is suspended or contesting a violation ruling.
Kerley has chosen not to comment further on his suspension out of respect for the ongoing process and looks forward to presenting his case to the appointed hearing panel. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for Kerley's career and future in athletics.
In light of his recent legal troubles and the suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit, Kerley's focus on the 100m sports event has been overshadowed. The outcome of his case could significantly impact Kerley's career in sports, given similar suspensions in the past for failure to comply with anti-doping whereabouts obligations, such as the one served by Christian Coleman in 2020.
