Olympic Sprinter Kerley Banned
US Olympic medallist Fred Kerley banned for two years for missing multiple doping tests. The suspension sidelines Kerley from major competitions including the next Olympics.
The ban was issued by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which handles anti-doping for World Athletics. A tribunal found Kerley to be "negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless" for recording three "whereabouts failures" between May 11 and December 6, 2024. Under anti-doping regulations, elite athletes must provide their locations to officials to allow for unannounced, out-of-competition testing. Any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within a 12-month period constitutes a violation and can result in a ban of up to two years. Kerley's suspension is backdated to August 12, 2025, when he was provisionally suspended, and is set to run until August 11, 2027. His competitive results between December 6, 2024, and August 12, 2025, have been disqualified, and he has been ordered to pay £3,000 in legal fees. The 30-year-old sprinter is a multiple-time world champion, having won 100m gold in 2022 and 4x100m relay titles in 2019 and 2023. He also earned a silver medal in the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a bronze in the same event at the Paris 2024 Games. In response to the ban, Kerley posted a series of messages on social media. In one, he questioned the process, stating, "Clean sport means accountability for everyone, not just the athlete." Another post seemed to reference a missed test, saying, "A random number from Mexico that looked like a scam call and I'm supposed to answer that?" Last September, while provisionally suspended, Kerley announced he would compete in the Enhanced Games. This controversial event is scheduled for May 2026 and will allow athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs.
