Fred Kerley, the American sprinter and Olympic silver medalist, has been provisionally suspended for violating anti-doping rules, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old athlete faces charges related to missed doping tests. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, an athlete who accumulates three missed tests or filing failures within a 12-month period can be sanctioned.
In a social media statement, Kerley’s legal team said he plans to challenge the allegations. They emphasized that Kerley “strongly believes one or more of his alleged missed tests should be dismissed either because he was not negligent or because the doping control officer failed to make reasonable efforts to locate him at the designated testing location.”
Kerley has already informed the AIU of his intention to contest the violation. His representatives stated he will refrain from further public comment “out of respect for the process” but looks forward to presenting his case before the hearing panel.
Kerley earned a silver medal in the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has won two World Championship relay golds in addition to his individual world title.
