Fred Kerley of the United States reacts after men’s 100m run during the Diamond League and Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow, Poland, 25 August 2024. (Photo by Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
The 100-meter Olympic bronze and silver medalist, Fred Kerley, has joined the Enhanced Games.
The 30-year-old has become the first American athlete to join the event, ahead of its inaugural competition. The Enhanced Games, scheduled to take place in May 2026 in Vegas, will allow athletes to take FDA-approved performance-enhancing substances under medical supervision.
The 100-meter world champion’s commitment comes after not competing at the 2025 World Championships. Amid withdrawing from the U.S. trials, Kerley faced a provisional suspension last month by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for an anti-doping whereabouts violation.
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter and competing at the Enhanced Games,” Kerley said. “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.”
In case of setting a new record in the 100-meter category, Kerley will be rewarded $1 million in prize money. Each individual event at the Enhanced Games, along with the appearance fee and bonus, will have a total prize pot of $500,000, with $250,000 reserved for the winner.
Kerley Isn’t The Only Olympian
Kerley has signed for the controversial event alongside other higher-profile Olympians, including freestyle swimmer Ben Proud. Proud is the first athlete from Britain to join the Enhanced Games, after announcing the news on Social Media.
Following this decision, the Olympic silver medalist’s funding has been ended by Aquatics GB, stating “the event has no credibility.” He will also most likely not participate in the 2028 Olympics, as World Aquatics has issued a bylaw to ban athletes from competing in its events who will compete in the Enhanced Games.
The World Doping Agency has also strongly condemned the event, stating that
it puts “athlete safety at serious risk and fundamentally undermines the core values of sport,” in a statement in May. World Athletics has not issued a comment regarding Kerley’s signing for the event.
In August, Enhanced Games launched an antitrust lawsuit against World Aquatics, USA Swimming, and the World Anti-Doping Agency, alleging an illegal campaign to “crush” the event’s competition and seeking damages of up to $800 million.
In the wake of Kerley’s decision, the organization has also emphasized its goals. “Fred’s choice to compete with us not only demonstrates our goal of hosting the most exciting athletic competitions out there, but also solidifies the growing appeal of the Enhanced Games,” stated the Enhanced Games chief executive, Maximilian Martin.
Kerley has won a silver medal in Tokyo and a bronze in Paris in the 100-meter category. He has also claimed the world titles in the 4×100 meters and 4×400 meters categories. The 30-year-old is currently the third-fastest American sprinter in history, having posted a time of 9.76 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 2022 World Championships.
In May, Fred Kerley was charged with touch or strike battery. While in Miami for a Grand Slam Track meet, he was accused of assaulting his former girlfriend. Following this, the sprinter’s lawyers claimed that the “arrest was a mistake,” stating Kerley “never battered anyone.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/parasjan/2025/09/18/fred-kerley-joins-enhanced-games-amid-suspension/