Fred Kerley won 100m bronze at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024
Sprinter Fred Kerley has announced his participation in the Enhanced Games, becoming the first track and field athlete and American male to join the controversial competition.
The Enhanced Games, slated for its inaugural event in 2026, permits athletes to utilize performance-enhancing drugs under stringent medical supervision.
Kerley, who secured a bronze medal in the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is currently provisionally suspended due to an alleged anti-doping whereabouts violation, preventing his participation in the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The 30-year-old athlete faces a potential two-year ban, but has stated on X, the social media platform, that he will contest the allegation.
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter and competing at the Enhanced Games,” Kerley, the 2022 100m world champion, stated.
“The world record has always been the ultimate goal of my career. This now gives me the opportunity to dedicate all my energy to pushing my limits and becoming the fastest human to ever live.”
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Should Kerley surpass Usain Bolt’s 100m record of 9.58 seconds, he stands to gain $1 million (£730,000) in prize money from the Enhanced Games.
Earlier this month, Olympic swimmer Ben Proud became the first British athlete to sign up. This is despite World Aquatics being the first international sport federation to ban athletes, coaches and officials from its events if they have taken part in the competition.
An athlete commission from UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has described the Enhanced Games as a “reckless venture” that could “damage the integrity of world sport irrevocably.”
In January, Kerley was tasered and arrested by Miami police following a confrontation, which he later attributed in May to a “misunderstanding”.
Reports indicated that the arrest stemmed from an alleged assault on his former girlfriend and fellow athlete, Alaysha Johnson.
In addition to his Paris bronze, Kerley secured a 100m silver medal at the Tokyo 2021 Games.
He has also achieved world titles in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, and holds the sixth-fastest 100m time in history with a personal best of 9.76 seconds.