Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley will see his income go down significantly after the controversial end to his endorsement deal with sports apparel manufacturer Asics.
Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley is set to see his earnings drop significantly following his bitter breakup with sports apparel manufacturer Asics.
Kerley split with Asics in controversial fashion when he was seen donning rival Puma spikes at the New York Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Olympic 200m silver medallist failed to start his 100m race and later explained that he had struggled on the blocks in his custom-made Asics spikes before deciding to ditch them.
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Fred Kerley quashes rumours of being disqualified at NYC Grand Prix, explains what really happened
American sprint icon Fred Kerley has explained why he did not compete in the men's 100m at the USTAF New York City Grand Prix.
“I was requesting new blocks. One of my pads was broken. I slipped the first time, and then I slipped the second time, and not about to have it happen a third time,” Kerley said of his ordeal in New York.
Following his embrace of rivals Puma, Asics were quick to cut ties with the American sprinter.
“Asics and Fred Kerley have mutually parted ways and he is no longer an ASICS sponsored athlete. We wish him the best in his career,” Asics said in a statement on Sunday.
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It means Kerley will have to find new spikes for the US Olympics trials set to start on June 21 as he bids to seal a ticket to the Paris Games.
However, the breakup also eats into Kerley’s earnings as the endorsement deal with Asics was one of his biggest revenue generators.
Kerley had been previously donning Nike, which saw his earning swell to $5 million from endorsements and prize money, before he switched to Asics in February 2023, on an improved deal, as the kit manufacturers sought to benefit from his profile as a world champion and Olympic silver medallist.
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However, he failed to defend his title at the 2023 World Championships when he did not make it to the final, missing out on lucrative prize money, and will have to do without a big cheque from Asics now that the partnership is over.
Kerley, however, has a chance to woo new suitors with the Olympics Games fast approaching. A good performance in Paris will be a huge draw for kit manufacturers with his dalliance with Puma potentially yielding a deal.
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