Former 100m world champion Fred Kerley has been banned for two years after failing to notify anti-doping officials of his whereabouts, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said in a statement.
A tribunal found Kerley was “negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless” in failing to adhere to anti-doping regulations after the American recorded three whereabouts failures between May 11 and December 6, 2024.
Kerley, who won the 100m gold at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, had already been provisionally suspended since August last year after committing three whereabouts failures within 12 months.
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An AIU disciplinary tribunal confirmed the suspension on Friday, ruling that the 30-year-old, who also won 100m medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paris 2024 Olympics, was negligent in complying with anti-doping requirements.
Strict whereabouts rules for elite athletes
Elite athletes are required to regularly inform anti-doping authorities of their whereabouts, including training locations, travel plans and daily time slots when they are available for unannounced testing.
Three failures within a year, such as missing a scheduled test or providing inaccurate information, constitute an anti-doping rule violation under the World Anti-Doping Agency code.
According to the AIU, Kerley breached these rules three times between May 11 and December 6, 2024. A fourth alleged whereabouts failure on December 7, 2024, was not considered when determining the sanction.
His period of ineligibility will run until August 11, 2027.
Results disqualified, fines imposed
The AIU said Kerley’s competitive results between December 6, 2024, and August 12, 2025, have been disqualified, including prize money, titles and awards. He has also been ordered to pay £3,000 in legal costs to World Athletics.
AIU head Brett Clothier said strict compliance with whereabouts rules is vital for effective anti-doping enforcement.
“Unfortunately, sophisticated doping substances may only be detectable within an athlete’s sample for a few days or even hours after administration,” Clothier said.
“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.”
Enhanced Games plan raises further questions
Whether Kerley will return to elite international competition remains uncertain.
The American sprinter has said he plans to compete in the inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas in May, an event where athletes are permitted to use performance-enhancing drugs.
However, World Athletics has warned that any athlete participating in the controversial competition could face “significant” bans from the sport.
Kerley had already missed the 2025 World Athletics Championships after being provisionally suspended by the AIU in August last year.
