Fred Kerley Suspended: Two-Year Ban for Whereabouts Failures

American sprinter Fred Kerley, the 2022 world 100m champion, has been banned for two years for anti-doping whereabouts failures, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday, March 6, 2026. The suspension is backdated to August 12, 2025.

Details of the Suspension

Kerley missed three out-of-competition drug tests within a 12-month period in 2024, triggering the ban under the World Anti-Doping Code . A disciplinary tribunal found Kerley to be “negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless” in not adhering to anti-doping regulations .

The AIU stated that Kerley’s period of ineligibility will run until August 11, 2027. All competitive results between December 6, 2024, and August 12, 2025, have been disqualified, including any prize money, prizes, and titles . He has also been ordered to pay World Athletics £3,000 in legal fees and other expenses .

Kerley’s Response and Appeal Options

Kerley initially disputed two of the missed tests. He blamed technical issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) app for a missed test on May 11, 2024, and attributed missed tests on December 6 and 7, 2024, to the Doping Control Officer (DCO) . However, the tribunal did not find his explanation for one of the tests plausible.

The decision can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) , though it is currently unknown if Kerley intends to do so.

Kerley’s Career Highlights

Kerley, 30, has a decorated career, including a gold medal in the 100m at the 2022 World Championships, as well as 4x100m titles at the 2019 and 2023 World Championships . He also won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics .

The Importance of Whereabouts Rules

Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, emphasized the importance of whereabouts rules in anti-doping efforts. “Unfortunately, sophisticated doping substances may only be detectable within an athlete’s sample for a few days or even hours after administration…Anti-doping organisations need to be able to test athletes without notice on the day and hour of our choosing, otherwise anti-doping programmes will not work, and dopers will easily avoid detection. Whereabouts rules are therefore fundamental to the integrity of sport and must be respected.”

Kerley had recently signed up to the controversial Enhanced Games before his suspension .