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Justin Gatlin recently made his feelings known about Fred Kerley's comeback after his second arrest. The athlete made his comeback at the Franson Chance Last Meet.
Kerley was scheduled to compete in Grand Slam Track Miami in the first week of May; however, he missed the event because of his arrest ahead of it. The American was arrested after he was charged with battery assault by his ex-girlfriend and fellow athlete, Alaysha Johnson. She claimed that she was struck in the nose by Kerley, which caused her nose to bleed.
Fred Kerley posted a $1000 bond after appearing in court, and following this, he delivered an impressive performance at the Franson Chance Last Meet. Here, he ran 9.87s in the 100m semi-finals and then clinched the title by recording 9.98s in the finals.
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Reflecting on this comeback, Gatlin spoke about Kerley in the recent episode of his podcast, Ready Set Go. Lauding him for his performance amid the adversities, the former track and field athlete said: (1:16.21 onwards)
"If he is able to step on the track through all this adversity and still run, damn sure he is going to prove himself. So, Fred is Fred. Fred is one of one for sure. As many people I see that in my career who have got in trouble or had a setback and then never amounted to what they could have been."
"I wouldn't even have to run track; you can just pay me from all the dollars from that situation. But him, for whatever reason, he stays tried and true, and when you feel like, 'man, Fred ain't going to make it to this one,' or 'Oh man, Fred got arrested again, prayers up to Fred,' the next thing you know, he comes down and drops sub 10," he added.
Fred Kerley was also arrested in January 2025 after an altercation with police officials.
Fred Kerley shared a strong message after his victory post-arrest
After his dominant performance in the Franson Chance Last Meet, Fred Kerley dropped a strong message on X, opening up about his journey as an athlete. He highlighted the adversities he goes through and the sacrifices he has made in life, stating that he always shows up.
Talking about reaching the podium despite sustaining injuries and his self-doubt, he said:
"Every medal I've earned carries more than weight - it carries pain, sacrifice, and a story the world will never fully understand. I didn't just show up — I arrived in a sport where greatness is expected and pressure is constant."
He added:
"From the 400 to the 100, 1 didn't follow the blueprint I broke it. I took risks most athletes wouldn't dare to, and still stood on the podium. Year after year. Race after race. They don't see the nights I ran through injuries, the days I trained in silence, the moments I carried doubt on my back but never let it slow my steps."
Fred Kerley made his 2025 debut at the USC Trojan Invitational on March 22, 2025, where he grabbed the victory by defeating New Zealand's Eddie Nketia by a mere 0.03s. He clocked 10.23s to stand atop the podium, while Nketia recorded 10.26s.
