Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Fred Kerley, a two-time Olympic 100m medallist currently serving a suspension, has become the first US man and first track and field athlete to sign up for the Enhanced Games, where competitors will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs. The Enhanced Games announced Kerley’s participation on social media on Wednesday, saying in a post on X that he would take part in the 100m in the first edition of the competition that allows “performance-enhancing substances” with a protocol they claim is “safe, legal and science-driven.”
Kerley said in a statement posted on the Enhanced Games website that he believes the Enhanced Games give him a chance to challenge Usain Bolt’s 100m world record of 9.58sec. “The world record has always been the ultimate goal of my career,” Kerley said. “This now gives me the opportunity to dedicate all of my energy to pushing my limits and becoming the fastest human to ever live.” A $1 million bonus is on offer to any competitor who breaks a world record at the event.
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Kerley won 100m silver at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and captured bronze at the Paris Games last year. He won 100m gold at the 2022 athletics World Championships, but he is currently serving a provisional suspension for failing to meet anti-doping test whereabouts obligations. Kerley is the first track and field specialist to commit to the Enhanced Games after swimmers James Magnussen, Ben Proud and Kristian Gkolomeev.
The project, launched by Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza in 2023, has stirred controversy over fears it endangers athlete health, with the World Anti-Doping Agency describing it as a “dangerous and irresponsible project.” The inaugural edition, comprising swimming, sprinting and weightlifting, is set to be held in Las Vegas on May 21-24, 2026. Athletes competing in the Enhanced Games will be allowed to use drugs banned across international sport such as steroids and human growth hormones. The winners of each event receive $250,000.
In June, World Aquatics became the first international federation to ban athletes, coaches and officials from its events if they take part in the Enhanced Games. In August, the Enhanced Games filed an anti-trust lawsuit against World Aquatics, USA Swimming and the World Anti-Doping Agency in US court, accusing the bodies of a “blatantly predatory and illegal campaign to force anyone involved in the sport, including athletes, support staff and officials to boycott the Enhanced Games and stop the Enhanced Games from entering the market for international elite swimming.”
© 2024 AFP
