Fred Kerley, one of the most decorated sprinters of this generation, has joined the Enhanced Games. His decision comes while he is provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for multiple "whereabouts failures", a violation of anti-doping rules that could result in a ban of up to two years.
Kerley’s suspension stems from missing three out-of-competition drug tests within a 12-month period, a breach that constitutes an anti-doping rule violation. His legal team has contested the charges, arguing that at least one of the missed tests should be dismissed due to procedural errors by doping control officers. The AIU is currently reviewing the case, which could take months to resolve.
This doping-related controversy is not Kerley's only recent setback. His 2025 season has been marred by legal troubles, including arrests in January and May for alleged domestic violence and assault. These incidents led to his withdrawal from several major meets, including the US Track and Field Championships and the Grand Slam Track event in Miami.
Despite these challenges, Kerley remains a significant figure in athletics. He won a silver medal in the 100 metres at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a bronze in the same event at the Paris 2024 Games. He also claimed gold in the 100 metres at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon cementing his status as one of the fastest men in history with a personal best of 9.76 seconds.
Kerley framed his move to the Enhanced Games as both a personal and financial liberation. He has criticised traditional athletics for its restrictive medical policies and inadequate athlete compensation. “It feels like I was in prison before, limited even on what over-the-counter medicine I could take,” he said. “Now I have peace of mind”.
The Enhanced Games offers lucrative incentives: £250,000 for winning an event and up to £800,000 for breaking the 100-metre world record. Kerley has signed a multi-year contract and stated, “Equity is the key, trillion-dollar industries are the door, I already walked in”.
Kerley’s leap into the Enhanced Games is more than a career pivot, it could be seen as a challenge to the very foundations of modern sport. Like Ben Proud, who walked away from Olympic swimming to embrace the same controversial platform, Kerley is trading legacy for liberty and lucrative rewards. Both athletes have framed their decisions as acts of personal empowerment, rejecting what they see as outdated systems that restrict their health, earnings and autonomy. Whether they are remembered as pioneers or pariahs will depend not just on their performances, but on how the sporting world is ready to confront the uncomfortable facts their choices expose.
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