Fred Kerley

Fred Kerley Career

Fred Kerley is one of the most decorated American sprinters in track and field over the past ten years. He’s also been the subject of several controversial news headlines, including being the first sprinter to commit to the Enhanced Games after being suspended for whereabouts failure in the summer of 2025.

Kerley went to high school in College Station, Texas. After graduating, he attended South Plains and eventually transferred to Texas A&M.

Kerley’s first international success came in 2016, when he anchored the American 4×100-meter team at the NACAC Under-23 Championships and won gold.

The next year, in March 2017, he won the NCAA Division I Championships in the 400-meter and ran the fastest time of the year at that point, posting 44.85 seconds.

In May, he nearly broke the NCAA record when he ran 44.09 seconds at the Southeastern Conference Championships without running hard through the line. A few weeks later, he managed to break the record with a time of 43.70 seconds. The previous record of 44.00 seconds was set by former Olympic champion Quincy Watts nearly 25 years prior.

Kerley then won the 400-meter and the 4 × 400-meter relay at the NCAA championships in June.

Professional Career

Kerley turned pro in 2017, signing a contract with Nike. Within a few weeks, he started his professional career by winning the 400-meter at the National Championships with a time of 44.03 seconds. This finish qualified him to represent the United States in the 400-meter and the 4 x 400 relay at the World Championships.

After a disappointing finish in the individual 400-meter at the World Championships, he went on to help his 4 x 400 relay team capture silver behind Trinidad and Tobago.

The next season, in 2018, Kerley trained with the Phoenix club Altis and coach Kevin Tyler. He won the 400-meter at the Roma Golden Gala Diamond League event at the end of May with a time of 44.33 seconds. Kerley then went on to win the Diamond League trophy for the men’s 400-meter at the circuit final in Zurich.

After the season, he went back to Texas A&M to train with his old coach, Alleyne Francique.

Kerley saw continued success in 2019. He won several world-class meetings such as the Shanghai Diamond League and the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica. He also went on to run the seventh fastest time ever in the 400-meter with a new personal best of 43.64 seconds.

Kerley won his first individual World Championship medal with a time of 44.17 seconds in the 400 meters in Doha.

Post-Covid Pandemic

The 2020 season was mostly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Olympic Games were moved to 2021. Fred Kerley shifted his focus during this time to the shorter 100-meter to work on his speed in hopes that it would help him reduce his time in the 400.

He broke the 10-second barrier for the first time in late April in Miami, running 9.91 seconds. Fred Kerley’s transition to the shorter sprints paid off. He became the third athlete in history to break 10 seconds, 20 seconds, and 44 seconds in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters, respectively. The only other men to manage this feat are the 400-meter world record holder Wayde van Niekerk and Michael Norman.

Kerley went on to win the silver medal in the 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, only finishing behind Italy’s Marcell Jacobs. After the Olympics, he lowered his personal best in the 200 meters to 19.79 seconds in his win at the Paris Diamond League. He would run 19.76 seconds in September at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.

Continued Success

Kerley would run his fastest 100 times in 2022. At the US Outdoor Championships, he won the event with a time of 9.77 seconds and a personal best of 9.76 seconds in the semi-finals.

Although the gold medal eluded him the previous season at the Olympic Games, he would get redemption at the World Championships when he finally won his first individual gold medal in the 100-meter. His time of 9.86 seconds narrowly put him in front of his teammate Marvin Bracy. Trayvon Bromell would get third, sweeping the podium for the Americans.

He continued to have success the next season, taking home victories in the 100 in several Diamond League and international events. He failed to make it past the semi-finals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, but he would take home another gold medal later in the competition as part of the men’s 4 x 100 team.

At the end of the season, he switched coaches to Quincy Watts, who was the Director of Track and Field at the University of Southern California and the former Olympic Champion in the 400.

Fred Kerley 2024 and Onwards

In May, Fred Kerley released a Tweet where he announced, “World Record next time I touch the 100m.” At his next 100-meter race, at the New York City Grand Prix, he had to forfeit due to apparent faulty starting blocks.

At the Olympic Trials, he would finish third in the 100 meters behind Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek. He captured bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris with a time of 9.81 seconds behind only Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles.

Fred Kerley Legal issues

Kerley had a number of legal troubles in 2024 and 2025, being arrested three times, although his legal team claimed that he was innocent of all charges.

In May 2024, he was charged with domestic battery against his wife.

On January 2, 2025, a confrontation in Miami Beach between Kerley and a police officer escalated into a shoving match. The confrontation started when Kerley tried to reach his vehicle while police were investigating a crime scene for an unrelated crime. He was charged with battery, resisting an officer, and disorderly conduct.

In May 2025, Kerley was arrested once again at the meet hotel ahead of the Grand Slam Miami competition and charged with battery for allegedly punching former girlfriend and fellow athlete Alaysha Johnson.

In a statement on his social media, he wrote:

“While there was a physical altercation, my arrest was not due to any criminal act,” Kerley wrote in a statement posted on his social media accounts. “I chose not to speak to law enforcement without my attorney, and for that reason alone, I was booked … I remain fully committed to clearing my name and cooperating with appropriate parties to resolve it.

Fred Kerley Whereabout Suspension and Enhanced Games

On August 12, 2025, The AIU issued a 2-year provisional suspension to Fred Kerley for whereabouts failure, meaning he missed three doping tests over a 12-month period.

In September, Kerley became the first sprinter to commit to the Enhanced Games to be held in May 2026. The competition will allow athletes to compete in an unsanctioned competition without being subjected to drug testing. The competition has been harshly criticized, with the President of World Athletics saying athletes who compete will be “banned for a long time.”

The Enhanced Games offer a $1 million prize for breaking Usain Bolt’s world record. In reference to Kerley’s chances, two-time Olympic Champion Donovan Bailey said in a CBC interview, “Not going to happen.”

If World Athletics does decide to levy heavy suspensions against athletes who compete in the Enhanced Games, it’s unlikely that Kerley will compete in sanctioned competition again.

Personal Life and Other Facts

Kerley’s older cousin, Jeremy Kerley, is a former NFL wide receiver.

At the time of writing, Kerley’s personal best of 43.64 seconds in the 400 meters makes him the tenth fastest man of all time at this distance. His personal best of 9.76 seconds ties him for the sixth fastest man of all time in the event.

His best of 19.76 in the 200 ranks him 28th all-time.

FAQS

Who is Fred Kerley’s Wife?

Fred Kerley’s wife is Angelica Kerley. In an interview with CBS News Miami, she claimed to have asked for a divorce multiple times after the alleged physical altercation. On the incident, she was quoted in her CBS interview as saying:

“All I remember [is] trying to get up and he tries to grab my phone again, so I scoot it under me and he’s standing over me at this point behind me and he takes his arm and he wraps it around my neck and he proceeds to choke me so hard that I can’t gasp for air,” Angelica Kerley said. “And I’m not going to lie, at some point, I thought that he was going to kill me.”

How Many Medals Does Fred Kerley Have?

Fred Kerley has two Olympic medals, a silver and a bronze medal in the 100-meter. He has also won two individual and three relay medals at the World Championships, including four gold medals.

Where is Fred Kerley From?

Fred Kerley is from Taylor, Texas, and he went to college at South Plains College and Texas A&M.

Why Was Fred Kerley Suspended?

Fred Kerley was provisionally suspended for whereabouts failure in August, meaning that he missed three doping tests within 12 months.

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