100 champ Kerley out for relays at worlds with hurting leg

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — World 100-meter champion Fred Kerley will not be available for the U.S. relay team later this week due to a leg injury he suffered while running the semifinals of the 200.

Kerley’s agent, Ricky Simms, said the sprinter sustained a slight injury to his quadriceps during the race Tuesday night. Kerley slowed down about halfway through the race and finished second-to-last. After the race, he pulled the left leg of his shorts up above his thigh. The team initially said he’d suffered a cramp.

Kerley was a 400-meter specialist who moved down in distance before last year’s Olympics. He won silver in the 100 in Tokyo, then the gold in Eugene last Saturday as part of an American medals sweep that also included Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell.

Kerley was expected to play a key part of the American 4×100 meter relay team that has been plagued with problems over the decades. Qualifying for that race is Friday, with the final on Saturday.

Even without him, the U.S. can field the fastest team. Christian Coleman, the 100-meter champion in 2019 who finished sixth Saturday, is a candidate. So are Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton, the top two contenders in the 200 who also have the two fastest times in the world at that distance this year.

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