Fred Kerley has made headlines by becoming the first male American and track athlete to sign up for the controversial Enhanced Games, Afrosport reports.
The inaugural edition of the Enhanced Games is set for 2026 and permits athletes to use banned performance-enhancing substances under medical supervision—a move that has divided opinion across the sporting world.
The 30-year-old recently secured bronze in the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics but is currently provisionally suspended due to an alleged anti-doping whereabouts violation. As a result, he is not competing at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and could face a two-year ban but stated he intends to contest the violation.
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter and competing at the Enhanced Games,” said Kerley,
“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.”
The 2022 100m world champion is eyeing Usain Bolt’s long-standing record of 9.58 seconds. Should Kerley achieve his objective, he would earn $1 million in prize money offered by the Enhanced Games.
The track star won silver in the 100m at the Tokyo 2021 Games and holds multiple world titles in both the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. His personal best of 9.76 seconds ranks as the sixth-fastest 100m time in history.
Meanwhile, Olympic swimmer Ben Proud became the first British athlete to sign up for the Games earlier this month. His decision came despite World Aquatics becoming the first international sporting federation to ban any athlete, coach, or official who participates in the event from future sanctioned competitions.
