Fred Kerley will miss this weekend’s prestigious track event amid legal troubles after alleged altercation with ex-girlfriend at hotel
Fred Kerley, the American sprint standout with Olympic silver and bronze medals to his name, has been removed from the competitor list for this weekend’s Grand Slam Track event in Miami following his arrest on Thursday.
The 29-year-old sprinter was taken into custody after allegedly striking his former girlfriend at a hotel where athletes were gathering before the competition. According to police documents from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Kerley faces a first-degree misdemeanor charge of battery.
“Fred Kerley was arrested last night. The matter is under active investigation,” Grand Slam Track officials announced Friday. “Fred will not compete this weekend.”
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The incident reportedly happened when Kerley encountered his ex-girlfriend, who is also scheduled to compete in the Miami meet. The woman told police she was heading to meet her conditioning coach when the confrontation occurred. Police noted her injuries matched her account that Kerley struck her once in the face with a closed fist, causing her nose to bleed.
This marks Kerley’s second run-in with law enforcement in South Florida this year. In January, he was arrested following an altercation with police officers. During that incident, Reuters and The Associated Press reported that authorities reportedly used a Taser on Kerley after he attempted to access his vehicle during an unrelated police investigation.
Kerley had been slated to race in both the 100 meters on Saturday and 200 meters on Sunday. The sprinter previously competed in Grand Slam Track’s first-ever meet held last month in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Miami Grand Slam event represents an important milestone for 2025 Grand Slam Track, which was founded by four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson as an alternative to the established Diamond League circuit. The new series plans to host four meets during its inaugural 2025 season.
Kerley has established himself as one of America’s premier sprinters in recent years, claiming silver in the 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics and adding a bronze medal in the same event at the Paris Games last summer. His trophy case also includes six world championship medals from various competitions.
Grand Slam Track officials have directed all inquiries about the incident to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office while the investigation continues.
