Double Olympic medalist Fred Kerley received a major setback. In a recent decision, the Athletics Integrity Unit of the USATF has decided to ban the sprinter from participating in any track and field events for the next two years. He has also been slapped with a $ 3,000 fine, for which the sprinter has called out the AIU.
Fred Kerley Lashes Out at AIU for Imposing $3000 As Legal Costs
Kerley shared the circular sent to him by the AIU, which asked him to contribute $ 3,000 toward the legal costs incurred in the case. The soon-to-be 31-year-old sprinter criticized the AIU through his latest post on X [formerly Twitter], where he wrote,
“The AIU runs a case on me, then orders me to pay $3000 to World Athletics… So the same system that prosecutes the case thinks I should also pay their legal costs? Athletes already fund this sport with our performances, our likeness, and our labor. Now we’re supposed to finance the legal system used against us too?”
For the uninitiated, Kerley was suspended from participating in track and field events in late 2025, when the AIU accused him of failing to appear for the customary doping tests. While he hasn’t been found guilty of doping violations, the former world champion sprinter allegedly added fuel to the fire by announcing his entry into the Enhanced Games, which allow athletes to compete without fear of suspension for anti-doping violations.
READ MORE: ‘They Put Me Through Hell’: Fred Kerley Reacts as He Gets Major Relief From Court in Criminal Case
Kerley also accused the higher authorities of allegedly extorting athletes with these whereabouts notices, as he further added,
“And let’s be real… if athletes weren’t constantly getting targeted with whereabouts violations and cases, how would this whole system even fund itself? Meanwhile this is the same organization where an audit found over $1.5 million stolen internally by staff. Millions can go missing inside the system… but the athlete is the one being told to pay the bill.”
Kerley has been one of the most consistent performing sprinters in track and field. Before his legal tussles, the sprinter from San Antonio, Texas, had clinched two Olympic medals, three World Championship medals, and two Diamond League titles overall.
The former world champion had recently claimed he was working to beat the nearly two-decade-old world record held by Usain Bolt. Bolt had clocked 9.58 seconds when he clinched the 100m gold medal at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. Kerley last participated in the 2025 Grand Sprint Series, held in July 2025 in Norwalk, California, where he clinched a gold medal in the men’s 100m final with a time of 10.19 seconds.
