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Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track has barred American track athlete Fred Kerley from participating in its next meet in Philadelphia, scheduled between May 31 and June 1. This comes due to the battery accusations against him earlier this month, which also forced him to miss the GST Miami meet.
As per reports, the two-time Olympic medalist was accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend Alaysha Johnson on her nose at a hotel in Florida. Johnson, 28, is also an athlete and mostly competes in the hurdles events, and was also a participant at the 2024 Olympics.
This incident also led to Kerley's arrest for the second time this year after the domestic violence charges he faced back in January. Just a couple of weeks later, Grand Slam Track, in a statement, clarified that the authorities of the league have decided to suspend Kerley until the legal procedure against him is completed. The statement read:
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"Grand Slam Track signed racer Fred Kerley is suspended pending the completion of legal proceedings and will not compete in Philadelphia" (via The New York Times).
Kerley's only GST meet this season came in Kingston, where he finished 3rd in the 200m event and 7th in the 100m. He recently competed at the Franson Last Chance event where he won the 100m in 9.98 seconds.
Fred Kerley shares his perspective on the battery charges against him
Fred Kerley explained his thoughts after his arrest over the battery charges against him earlier this month. In an interview, Kerley said that his arrest in Miami was not a result of the physical and criminal charges pressed against him but due to his decision not to speak without his judicial representative.
He also took responsibility for this 'misunderstanding' around this entire instance and mentioned that he is taking steps to solve the situation through lawful means. Kerley said (via BBC):
"While there was a physical altercation, my arrest was not due to any criminal act. 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. I take full accountability for placing myself in a situation that allowed for this misunderstanding."
Despite these setbacks and legal charges, Kerley hasn't lost a race outside the Grand Slam Track Kingston meet. He has won the 100m races in events such as the Mt. SAC Relays and the Tom Jones Memorial.
