Eugene (United States), July 31(HS): Fred Kerley, former 100-meter world champion, has withdrawn from the US Track and Field Championships in Oregon, which means he will miss the World Athletics Championship 2025 in Tokyo. Announcing his withdrawal on social media, he expressed challenges in 2025 and indicated a need to focus on returning to the track. At 30, Kerley is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won a silver in Tokyo 2021 and a bronze in Paris 2024. In 2022, he claimed gold at the World Championships in Eugene, the same venue for this year’s US Championships.

Despite an impressive time of 9.98 seconds in May, his season has been overshadowed by off-track issues, including an arrest in May related to battery charges and previous incidents involving police disputes. Allegations of domestic violence also emerged earlier this year. These issues have significantly impacted his career, culminating in his absence from the upcoming World Championship 2025.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar