Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley has been handed a two-year ban after a tribunal found him guilty of violating anti-doping whereabouts rules.
The 30-year-old American sprinter was sanctioned after recording three whereabouts failures between May 11 and December 6, 2024, a violation under the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency and global athletics governing body World Athletics.
Kerley had already been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in August 2025, which forced him to miss the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
According to the tribunal, the sprinter was “negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless” in failing to comply with the strict requirements that allow anti-doping officials to test athletes without notice.
His period of ineligibility will run until August 11, 2027. In addition, all his competitive results between December 6, 2024, and August 12, 2025, have been disqualified, including any titles, prize money and awards earned during that period. He has also been ordered to pay £3,000 in legal and administrative costs to World Athletics.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, athletes are required to provide accurate location information so officials can conduct surprise drug tests. Missing three tests or failing to file required information within a 12-month period constitutes an anti-doping violation.
The tribunal declined to consider a fourth alleged failure recorded on December 7, after determining that the first three incidents already established a violation.
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Kerley is one of the most accomplished sprinters of his generation. He won the 100m gold medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and has also claimed Olympic medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, where he won silver, and the 2024 Summer Olympics, where he secured bronze.
In a statement, AIU head Brett Clothier emphasised the importance of strict compliance with anti-doping regulations.
He noted that some performance-enhancing substances can leave an athlete’s body within hours or days, making unannounced testing essential to maintaining fairness in sport.
“Whereabouts rules are fundamental to the integrity of sport and must be respected,” Clothier said.
Kerley did not dispute one of the missed tests but argued that technical problems with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) mobile app contributed to another failure. He also blamed doping control officers for two missed tests in December.
The sprinter last competed at the Grand Sprint Series in Norwalk, California, in July 2025. In September that year, he became the first American male track athlete to sign up for the controversial Enhanced Games.
Kerley has the option to challenge the ruling by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
