American sprinter Fred Kerley has been temporarily suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on charges of suspected “whereabouts failures,” a rule-violation charge punishable by a two-year suspension.

The suspension is part of a tumultuous year for the two-time Olympic 100m medalist, who has weathered several controversies off the track during the previous six months.

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The AIU on Tuesday released a statement claiming Kerley, 29, was reported to have on three occasions within a 12-month period failed to provide accurate and up-to-date location information for out-of-competition anti-doping drug testing. Three such instances of missed tests or filing violations would form an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) according to World Athletics regulations.

Sprint sensation Kerley’s lawyer, Howard L. Jacobs, upheld his client’s position that he will “contest the charge that he has violated the anti-doping rules” and stated that the doping control officer failed “to do what was reasonable in the circumstances” to find him where he had declared. The AIU will subsequently conduct an internal investigation, which could be weeks or months down the line.

The suspension is the most recent in a list of legal troubles to face the U.S. star. Kerley was arrested this year twice — initially in January in Miami, where he was charged with domestic assault on his wife after a confrontation with police, and also in May, when he was accused of beating an ex-girlfriend.

In May, following his second arrest, Kerley withdrew from the Grand Slam Track meet in Miami, where he was due to compete. He had earlier registered a seventh-place 100m and third in the 200m at the series’ inaugural meet in Kingston, Jamaica, in April.

Kerley’s personal best is one of the best in modern sprinting. He took Olympic silver over 100m at Tokyo 2021, and subsequently bronze at Paris 2024, and was world champion in 2022.

His multi-event capabilities — having competed at a high level over 100m, 200m, and 400m — have made him one of the sport’s most respected and feared rivals.

But the current charges and ongoing legal troubles threaten to overshadow those achievements. A two-year suspension, if upheld, would keep him out of top events until 2027, casting his career into jeopardy at a point in his prime.

The AIU inquiry will also include questioning of doping control officers and any witnesses who are applicable to the missed tests.

If Kerley’s appeal is unsuccessful, he could be penalized from the date of his provisional suspension.

Despite the mounting steeper challenges in front of him, Kerley remains the epicenter of the track world. Whether or not he is able to recover his reputation — both as a doper and as a man outside of running — will determine if his story continues to be one of sporting greatness or whether it proves to be a story of a destroyed career.